Sehnsucht
by MamaStreet
Summary: An agent with MCUSA, a mercenary, and a pack of American werewolves join the fight against the rising darkness of Voldemort's reign. (This began as a fluffy Remus/OC and then took on a life of its own. AU beginning with OOTP.)
1. Chapter 1

_Sehnsucht  
_ by Mama Street

AU beginning with book 5, _Harry Potter The Order of the Phoenix_

Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt  
Weiß, was ich leide!  
Only those who know longing  
Know what I suffer!  
Johan Goethe, 1795 ~

Chapter 1 ~ July, 1995

Remus Lupin sighed and drummed his fingers on the table top. What on earth was taking Dumbledore so long?

The whooshing sound of someone arriving via floo powder to the Headmaster's fireplace made him think his waiting was finally over. How did Dumbledore arrive via floo, anyway? Did he stumble and tumble out like most people? The wizarding world may have nailed efficient transportation, but few of them could stick a landing.

Remus turned in his chair to watch Dumbledore's arrival, but instead of the stately old Headmaster, a girl thumped down onto the hearth. She was crouched down like she'd anticipated a hard landing and paused for a split second on all fours like a cat, eyes darting around the room.

The girl stood swiftly and shook out the dust and ashes from her jacket as she walked across the room and took the chair next to Remus. She flung her hair back over her shoulder as she sat, and the small cloud of ash released made Remus sneeze. In that same moment, Dumbledore arrived.

"Ah, I see you two have met. So sorry your flight was delayed my dear. I trust it was an uneventful trip?"

The girl nodded once, and when it appeared no other information was forthcoming, Remus cleared his throat. "Um, sir?" _Really? Sir? I've been out of school for fifteen years and I still can't address the man by his first name?_ "Why have you called me here? And we haven't met, actually," he said, nodding towards the girl.

"Well Remus, allow me to present…"

"Caroline Bingley," the girl interrupted. "But you can call me Lina."

Her voice surprised him. It was lower and more mature than he'd expected, and as he looked over at her he realized she was older than he'd first assumed. A woman, not a girl.

Dumbledore's eyes crinkled in amusement, but Remus was unsure why. "Mr. Lupin, I have asked you both here to charge you with the task of finding Sirius Black. I do not think it kind or helpful to allow him to keep wandering the country trying to help Harry and evade capture."

Remus frowned thoughtfully. "If we find him, where could he stay? The small rooms I rent are being watched. The Ministry already thinks I am helping him."

Dumbledore handed Remus a small scrap of parchment that read, _The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at twelve, Grimmauld Place, London._ "He shall return home, Remus. I have attempted to visit the Black Family house and am happy to report that it is very well concealed in a Muggle neighborhood of London. Strange for a family who hated Muggles so, but I assume it also kept away any friends they didn't trust," Dumbledore added, his eyes twinkling.

"He won't be thrilled with that," Remus mumbled under his breath. "Well, I'm afraid I don't know where to even begin looking for him," Remus said in his normal tone. "Harry mentioned once receiving letters from some very exotic birds."

"I am of the opinion that Mr. Black is quite close," said Dumbledore. "He was in fact staying near Hogsmead up until the end of the TriWizard Tournament. He is no longer there, according to Harry, but surely will not have gone far."

Remus glanced at the woman, Lina, as a faintly skeptical look flashed across her face.

"Well," she said briskly, standing from the chair. "Let's not waste any more time. I plan to be back in two weeks to collect my pay."

"Dumbledore, what exactly is your goal here?" asked Lupin cautiously, as he too stood.

Dumbledore smiled. "I should think that fairly obvious, Remus. I believe the Muggles say we are getting the band back together."

* * *

They walked beyond the boundaries of Hogwarts to disapparate. Lina turned to Remus expectantly. "Well? Where do you think he is?" she asked, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

Remus shot her a wry look. "I think we're looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Our needle is an escaped convict with no concept of how to live as a Muggle, no wand and a hippogriff. Our haystack is anywhere he could reasonably fly on said hippogriff, probably inclined to uninhabited areas." He flung a hand out indicating the Forbidden Forest. "If he's very close, he's in there. If not, there's acres of Scottish Highland to search. I couldn't tell you what Dumbledore's version of close might be. Add to that he's an unregistered animagus and can turn into a dog."

Lina grinned at him. "Excellent. I love a challenge. Give me the first three words off the top of your head to describe him."

Remus looked at her like she was crazy.

"Humor me," she said, making a face at him.

"Fine," shrugged Remus, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Sirius Black is stubborn, dramatic, and sentimental."

She nodded, thinking quietly for a minute. "Who's Harry…to Black, I mean?" she asked suddenly. "What's their connection? Dumbledore said Harry's received letters and been in contact with him recently."

"Sirius is Harry's godfather."

"Mmm-hmmm," she hummed. "And you said Black is stubborn and sentimental, so he's probably near Harry. We'll start there. Where does Harry live?"

Remus looked at her with a new respect. "Surrey," he replied slowly. "And Surrey is not the Scottish Highlands. If he's there, especially with a hippogriff, we might actually be able to find him."

Lina rubbed her hands together, "We're going to need a caravan," she said with a roguish gleam in her eye.

Before Remus could respond to that she grabbed his arm and disapparated.

They arrived with a loud crack outside an old farmhouse. Lina strode purposefully toward a barn, several hundred yards away. As she approached, a tall blonde, bearded man emerged. He wiped a hand across his brow and squinted at them both for a moment, before he broke into a wide smile. Lina ran forward and hugged him.

As they walked back toward Remus, the tall man held out his hand. Remus shook it firmly. "I'm Phillipe, Lina's brother," the man said in a deep voice."

"Remus Lupin," he answered, never feeling more like a pale academic than beside this bear of a man.

"You one of her kind, then?" Phillipe asked in a friendly voice. "A wizard?"

"Uh…yes," Remus said in surprise, looking over at Lina.

"I'm a Muggle-born. The only magical one in my family." She answered his unspoken question. Remus nodded.

"So are you on a job or here for a holiday?" asked Phillipe.

"Job. Can we borrow your caravan for a week or so?"

Phillipe narrowed his eyes at her. "Where would you take it?"

"We're hoping to not even leave the country," she said, placing her hand over her heart. "Honest."

"Two conditions, then. Remember I've only had it a year, so you'd better bring it back in good shape. And when you come back you'd better stay for a bit. Mum's been harping on how she never sees you anymore."

"Promise," she said, making an X over her heart.

Phillipe looked at her skeptically. "And you haven't got a car to haul it, have you?"

"Not yet," she said brightly. "If you can't let us borrow one I can steal one."

Phillipe rolled his eyes as Remus looked at her in shock. "Fine, you can use the Yugo," he said reluctantly. Lina made a face, but nodded. "Now, you two want to stay for tea? Then I'll help you hook up the caravan."

Remus was a little bewildered to find himself tucking in to a meal of sausages and mash with this Viking of a man and what appeared to be his slightly mental sister. He wondered, not for the first time, why he placed so much trust in Dumbledore.

After finishing the meal and hooking the caravan to the old muddy brown Yugo, Phillipe shook Remus' hand again and wished him luck. "I don't know for sure what my sister gets up to, but you look like you've seen your share of scrapes. Hope the job goes well."

"Thank you?" said Remus, a little uneasy. "We're just…retrieving someone, so it should be relatively uneventful," he added, climbing into the passenger side of the car.

They stopped at a market as the sun was setting, and loaded up several carryalls with nonperishable food and bottles of water. Remus realized then that they were outside of York, and had quite a drive ahead of them. "Why do we need a caravan?" asked Remus, as they sped down the M1.

"To transport the hippogriff, of course," Lina said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Remus was reminded vaguely of Luna Lovegood. He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Granted, tracking and retrieving people isn't typically in my line of work, but why wouldn't we just apparate Sirius and the hippogriff to where we want them to be?"

Lina shot him a look that said she thought he was being foolish. "If Black's been on the run for over a year, trying to care for a hippogriff without a wand and doesn't know much about Muggles he's probably not in great shape. I doubt he's able to apparate at this point. And apparating with animals can be problematic. They tend to lash out after they land."

"Merlin, why didn't he come find me?" muttered Remus. "Or owl me to meet him somewhere?"

"Usually people don't ask for help because they don't want to be a burden," Lina said conversationally. After several minutes of silence, she glanced at his profile in the dim light from the dashboard. "Do you value privacy that much or are you simply not a curious person, Remus Lupin?"

He turned and narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm a curious person, but I value privacy more."

She nodded. "I understand. Other lycanthropes I've met are very private." Remus shifted uneasily in his seat. "I only asked," Lina continued, "because most people by now would have quizzed me on who I am and what I do and why Dumbledore asked for my help. You haven't done that."

"Do…do you want to talk about who we are and what we do?" asked Remus uncertainly.

"Not particularly," Lina answered in that same matter of fact tone.

Remus turned back to stare out the window at the darkening countryside, until he fell into an uncomfortable sleep, pressed against the window.

He awoke as they pulled into a petrol station. "Where are we?" he asked, through a yawn.

"South Berkshire. There's a caravan park I thought we'd try first, but we can't check in until later this morning. It's only two o'clock now. Do you need anything to eat?"

Remus shook his head, already falling back asleep. He started as Lina tossed a jumper at his head. "You can sleep in the caravan. It's a lot more comfortable. I'll just use the loo in the petrol station, and be right back."

Remus stumbled out of the car and walked to the funny little house on wheels. He fumbled with the latch on the door before flinging it open. Merlin, he did not function well being woken in the middle of the night. He looked around the interior for a minute before stretching out on the sofa-like bench and drifting almost instantly back to sleep. Lina returned to the car several minutes later and entered the caravan. "Do you need a blanket?" she asked, before realizing Remus was already sound asleep. "Men," she muttered, shaking her head. She took a moment to put up a few shielding spells, before hoisting herself up into the loft bed at the far end.

Remus woke late the next morning to the sound of the caravan door banging closed. The sound made him jump, and it took a couple pounding heartbeats to remember where he was. He left the caravan and followed Lina's golden hair as she disappeared into the petrol station. The pair used the station's facilities to clean up a little and then bought some breakfast sandwiches. Remus got tea, while Lina opted for a strong black coffee. He shuddered a little at the bitter smell. They traveled the short distance to the closest campground and got checked in and hooked up.

"What exactly is your plan?" asked Remus curiously.

"Well, during the day we're going to walk around the wooded areas where it would be easier to hide a hippogriff and leave your scent. Then Black might pick up on it when he's a dog and come find us. At night I will go out and see if I can find him. Or the hippogriff rather, as I don't know Black's scent. I'm pretty sure I'll recognize a hippogriff though."

Remus studied her for a moment. "You're an animagus too?"

Lina nodded. "Fox."

"Well, it doesn't sound as far-fetched as I thought your plan might," he admitted.

Lina leaned in close to his ear. "I was in Slytherin," she whispered, smirking at his surprised expression.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 ~ July, 1995

Several days later Lina located Buckbeak in Colne Valley. She quickly disapparated back to Remus and then returned to the spot with him. Remus settled in to wait for Sirius to show himself while Lina drove the Yugo and caravan to the closest possible campsite.

"How did you manage Slytherin as a Muggleborn?" Remus asked her later over tea that evening. They sat in the grass on the edge of a small clearing. Buckbeak was hidden in the trees just about a football field length away, but Sirius had yet to show himself.

"Partly good timing and partly lying through my teeth," Lina answered dryly. "I started at Hogwarts in 1981. Luckily Professor McGonagall delivered my letter in person and talked with me and my parents at length about what was going on. My parents weren't thrilled about the danger, naturally, but I think they were relieved there was an explanation for some of the strange stuff that happened to me, and that I wasn't going to have to be sent to an approved school. I…tended to get into a lot of trouble as a kid. Well, I get into a lot of trouble now too, come to think of it. So after McGonagall explained about the houses and the Sorting Hat I was fully prepared to be a Gryffindor."

"So what happened?"

"It was rather comical. The Hat knew right away Slytherin was the best fit, but it kept trying to talk itself out of it because I was a Muggleborn. So I told the Hat I'd thought up a cover story, was pretty sure I could handle things, and would make anyone who crossed me regret it."

"That was…very Slytherin of you."

Lina chuckled. "The Hat agrees with you. It said if that wasn't the most Slytherin thing I could have possibly said it would eat itself. Since my father's family is from France I told everyone my parents were squibs who were disowned and moved to England. Then I looked up a couple famous wizards from France and pretended we were distantly related. Voldemort was defeated the next month and after that things were different. Most of the students whose parents had supported him were pulled from the school, or didn't ever attend. Slytherin was half empty all the years I was there, and there were more Muggleborn Slytherins than I think there had ever been, by the time I graduated."

"That's incredible," Remus said amazed, "and you were very courageous. You could have been a good Gryffindor too."

Lina wrinkled her nose. "Red's not really my color. Unfortunately," she added, frowning, "it's not like that now. The blood purists are coming out of the shadows and their spawn are back in Hogwarts. Dumbledore says Voldemort's back. It's going to get ugly again."

"Lots of people don't believe Dumbledore. Why do you?"

A dark look settled on her face. "Doesn't have anything to do with Dumbledore. My work involves me with pretty dodgy people and places. There's been a shift, I can feel it. The darkness is heavier, more…ambitious…striving." Lina shook her head, as though to rid herself of the thoughts. "Dumbledore is powerful, and he…he has good intentions. But…he would have done well in Slytherin too. He plays a long game, and he's not too noble to sacrifice his pawns if it's necessary."

Remus was about to respond when Lina startled him by flinging a sandwich away into the trees. He confusedly looked toward the trees to see a large, scrawny black dog slink out of the shadows and grab the sandwich. Lina stayed still and calm, not making eye contact with the dog as she tossed him another sandwich.

"Padfoot," Remus called, "it's safe. We're here to take you home."

Lina held up her hands in a gesture of surrender. "No wands," she said. "Believe me I want to be as far away from the Ministry as you do, Black."

The dog cocked its head and studied them for a minute before slowly making its way to them, shoulders hunched and tail between its legs. When it reached him, the dog collapsed beside Remus, letting out a brief whine, and laying its head in his lap.

"Can't you change back?" Remus asked, gently stroking the dog's ears. The dog whined again.

"I'll get some water and some more food," said Lina, pulling herself up from the grass and heading to the caravan. She was back a few minutes later with a bowl of water and a plate of sausages. The dog fell on them and polished off the plate greedily. After a long and noisy drink, the dog curled up with a satisfied expression and promptly fell asleep.

"You sure that's your friend?" asked Lina skeptically. "It just acts like a regular dog."

"Yeah, it's him," answered Remus with a nod. "He's got a little scar on his right ear. It happened when he got stuck in the menagerie once where they keep the animals for Transfiguration classes. McGonagall tagged him," he finished with a chuckle.

"If you say so," said Lina, shaking her head. "I bought some rabbit for the hippogriff. I'll go feed him, while you see if you can get Black to transform. Or even just clean him up a little before he gets in the car. I think we need to head back north tonight." She strode off into the woods, carrying the large paper-wrapped package.

Remus shoved Sirius lightly. "Come on, Padfoot. You need to get cleaned up. I've got clothes for you, and there's showers down the trail a bit."

The dog stretched and yawned, and then stood to his feet. He cocked his head at Remus expectantly. Remus got to his feet as well and grabbed a bag from the back of the car, then he and the dog started off down the trail to the bathhouse.

Inside, Remus hung the bag on the hook in one of the shower stalls and turned back to the dog. "I'm not giving you a bath, so you can change back now."

The next moment Sirius was standing there grinning, and Remus was appalled by his appearance. Sirius had looked bad when he'd last seen him in the Shrieking Shack, but now he looked even worse. The prison uniform was barely hanging on by threads, and he'd lost so much weight his cheekbones and collarbone stood out with skin stretched tightly over them.

"I look that bad, eh?" asked Sirius in a hoarse voice.

"You do," nodded Remus. "There's toiletries in the bag with some new clothes. You'll look and feel better after you've cleaned up."

Remus sat on a bench outside the bathhouse thinking over the events that led him to this point. He used to mark the time differently as it passed – eleven years of just him and his parents, nine years of true friendship, a year of being suspected a traitor, twelve years alone; James had now been dead longer than they'd been friends. He still ached over that last conversation with Sirius before James and Lily had died. Sirius had trusted Peter over him. And he had believed Sirius capable of betraying and murdering his best friends. And then in one strange moment back in the Shrieking Shack all was forgiven. Remus shook his head. Sirius Black always managed to land him in situations he never could have anticipated.

"You're contemplating deep and mournful thoughts, aren't you? I still remember that look on your face."

Remus looked up at Sirius. That flicker of teasing was still bright in his eyes, even though he looked like death warmed over. Cleaner, but still dreadful.

"Didn't want to make use of the razor?" Remus asked, standing up.

"My hands shook too much. Maybe in a couple days I can manage it. Let's burn these," Sirius replied, holding up his rags of a prison uniform.

Remus nodded and they two made their way back to the campsite. Lina had fed Buckbeak and managed to not only get him to come back with her but also get him installed more or less comfortably in the caravan. Sirius tossed the old clothes into the fire ring and Remus lit them on fire with a flick of his wand. Sirius stood there watching the hateful fabric be consumed, leaving only a small pile of ashes behind. When the fire was out they turned back to the car. Lina was leaning against the door watching them.

Sirius caught her eye and bowed with a flourish. "Sirius Black. You should only believe a fraction of what you've heard about me."

Lina raised her eyebrows, and one corner of her mouth twitched as she held back a smile. "Caroline Bingley. You can call me Lina. If you've heard of me I need to find a new line of work. Let's go," she added, getting into the car.

Sirius had an intrigued smile on his face as he climbed into the back seat. Lina turned and handed him a large thermos. "It's soup," she said. "Eat it slowly. Then you should try to sleep. There's a pillow and blanket back there somewhere."

"Where are we going?" Sirius remembered to ask as he climbed in. He'd been so tired and hungry that he'd forgotten he really had no idea why Remus had come. "Remus you said you were here to take me home – what does that mean? I really think I need to keep an eye on Harry."

Remus hesitated. Sirius would not be happy about returning to his childhood home, even it meant rejoining the Order. "Harry will be fine for a few days. We're returning Buckbeak to the herd at Hogwarts. Most of the herd remains in the Forbidden Forest, so it's unlikely anyone will notice. Then Dumbledore is reforming the Order of the Phoenix. He wants you involved."

"Right," yawned Sirius. He sat quietly sipping his soup as Lina navigated her way back to the M1 and headed north, and was asleep before they reached Milton Keynes.

* * *

"I need to sleep," Lina yawned several hours later. They were meandering through the Lake District now, sticking to smaller back roads.

Remus caught sight of a lit area just ahead on the left. It looked like a caravan park, and someone had built a campfire. "Let's stop here for a bit."

As they pulled off onto a gravel path to join the other caravans, a group of four or five men stood from around the campfire and began walking towards them. The three climbed out of the car, Lina stepping ahead a little to greet the men. "Hiya. Can you show me the best spot to park? We just need to rest for a bit. Where do we pay for our pass?"

The men looked at each other uncertainly. Lina cocked her head at them curiously and then looked over the other caravans pulled up around the campfire. "Oh…" she said, nodding. "Not a caravan park then. Roma." She noticed a man's hand twitch towards his pant leg. "And wizards. Well, that will save some explaining."

The Horváth Clan was hospitable enough once they realized this little trio was in no hurry to meet up with any others of the wizarding community. Remus actually found it fascinating. The children were not sent to any schools, preferring to learn from among their own kind. And their resulting magic was quite specialized. The charms they had created to deal with concealment, and handling plants and wildlife were unique, and the potions they mixed were some he'd never seen. Their little group gratefully accepted some hot stew and Buckbeak was let out to stretch his legs and wings a little. Then Lina curled up on the loft bed to take a quick nap before heading out again.

One man, who stayed hidden in the shadows beyond the reach of the firelight, pulled out a guitar. Remus had passed close by him earlier and recognized the assorted scars crisscrossing his face and arms, marking him as a fellow werewolf. While the others sat and talked and laughed around the campfire, he began to play an old song called "The Boxer," that Remus hated. It just hit a little too close to home. He tried to sit through the first couple verses, his knee bouncing agitatedly.

 _Asking only workman's wages I come looking for a job, but I get no offers  
_ _Just a come on from the whores on seventh avenue  
_ _I do declare there were times that I was so lonesome I took some comfort there_

Unable to listen any longer, Remus stood and walked a little way from the group and the fire. He sat on fallen tree at the edge of the wood, staring off into the darkness.

"The song, it makes you sad? Yes?"

Remus looked up in surprise at the old woman beside him. She slowly lowered herself to sit next to him on the tree. "Um, yes, it does rather," he answered.

Her wrinkled brown face was compassionate and stern, reminding Remus a little of Professor McGonagall. The light breeze fluttered the wisps of gray hair that had escaped from the scarf over her head, and she pushed it out of her eyes impatiently.

"It is hard for your kind. This is why the song upsets you."

"My…my kind?"

"Werewolf. Like my son. But it is different for him. He cannot find a job with wizards because he is werewolf. And he cannot find a job with Muggles because he is Roma."

Remus nodded. "It is difficult to deal with prejudice, difficult to not lose hope."

The woman patted his arm. "You hear the song he sings, but you do not listen to the end."

"I already know the end… _he carries the reminders of every blow that laid him down or cut him 'til he cried out in his anger and his shame_ ," he recited.

"No. _The fighter still remains_. That is the important part…the fighters…the family. We help him not give up…we help because he belongs to us. Family."

"I don't have that," Remus said softly.

The old woman grabbed his chin and turned his face to hers, staring deep into his eyes. "You will have," she said, nodding in a satisfied way. "I know…I am a Seer."

"Right," he tried to smile kindly as he turned away.

She shrugged. "It is true. I care not if you believe. You have found your brother," she gestured toward Sirius, "and more will come…werewolf, witch and wizard…your family."

"I don't…want…more werewolves in my family," he said uneasily. "I don't want that at all."

The old woman studied him again. "That is not entirely up to you." Satisfied with whatever she happened to see in his eyes, she nodded and smiled vaguely. "She will bring them."

Remus knew the woman was crazy, he'd met plenty of people who claimed to be Seers, and most of it was all nonsense. But a little kernel of fear had been planted nonetheless. "Who?"

The old woman seemed to shudder, then spoke again, her accent even heavier than before. " _Raven haired and strange of speech. She will release the captive wolves and see the bonds restored."_

He stood abruptly and left the old woman there, heading back to the caravan. He slammed the door as he entered, trying fruitlessly to turn off his inner monologue.

 _It's nonsense, and it's not like it would be a problem. You avoid all…entanglements anyway. Well sure, but hope springs eternal… Hope? For what exactly? I don't know…someone who might…not care. Not care about the werewolf? Not care about being a pariah? Don't be ridiculous. You're better off sticking with those whores on Seventh Avenue. Nice, Lupin. Thanks for that. Quit worrying about what that old woman said. You never let anyone get close enough to…entangle them. Whoever she is, she won't be bringing you a family of werewolves; that is ridiculous._

Sirius watched Remus storm into the caravan and set down his cup of tea. "I guess our visit is at an end," he said to the man sitting next to him by the fire.

"Tell your friend not to pay too much heed to my mother," came a voice from the shadows over the soft strumming of the guitar. "She is apt to be over confident in her…gift. Our futures are not written in stone."

Sirius nodded his appreciation and clapped his hand on the shoulder of the other man. "Our thanks for your hospitality. I sincerely hope we might meet again someday."

The man nodded. "I am Nicolae. If you have need of our help again, Sirius Black, you may send an owl." Sirius looked a little surprised at being addressed by name. "We read the papers," Nicolae said with a low chuckle. "Anyone who is worried about taking their hippogriff in a caravan cannot be as terrible as those papers would have us believe. And we tend not to trust the Ministry anyway."

"Right," said Sirius slowly with a smile. "Well, thank you again."

He led Buckbeak back to the caravan. Lina emerged looking a bit tousled and annoyed with Remus for waking her with the slamming door. Sirius got Buckbeak settled and the group was off again into the darkness.

Lina insisted she was still fine driving for a while, and it wasn't like either them could help with the driving. By the time they crossed into the Scottish Lowlands, Remus was out cold in the back, his long legs curled up as tight as possible. Sirius, asleep in the front passenger seat, leaned his head on a small cushion pressed against the window. Left with her own company for the next little while, Lina began humming and then softly singing old folk songs to keep her awake as she drove. The night was black as pitch, any far off stars hidden behind veils of cloud. She shifted to try and get more comfortable, holding the steering wheel in her right hand, left tapping lightly on the center console. She flinched as a rough hand covered hers. "Why'd you stop singing?" asked Sirius sleepily. "It's peaceful."

Lina slipped her hand away from his and returned it to the steering wheel. "I don't sing when people are listening," she answered quietly.

"I'm not listening," he mumbled into the pillow. "I'm asleep."

She rolled her eyes in the darkness and began again, the melodies slipping away behind them as they headed north.

* * *

** Note ** The tagging incident that gave Sirius the scar on his ear is from a super cute fic by RJLupinFan called "Furry Little Problem (Or: Sirius' First Piercing.) Go check it out! (s/12492145/1/Furry-Little-Problem-Or-Sirius-First-Piercing)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 ~ July, 1995

Just past dawn they parked the caravan at a petrol station on the Muggle side of the Forbidden Forest, pulling in so that the door to the caravan opened directly into the heavy tree line. Lina and Remus went inside to grab some breakfast while Sirius quickly led Buckbeak out of the caravan and deep into the forest up to the edge of the magical boundary.

Lina and Remus caught up with him half an hour later. Remus was carrying a bag of food and beside him trotted a pretty red fox. Sirius gave the fox a crooked grin. "So that's how you found me. I had wondered."

Lina transformed back and shrugged. "Actually I found Buckbeak. Then we just waited for you to show up." Remus handed round the food, and Sirius was occupied for several minutes tossing meat pies to Buckbeak, while Remus and Lina ate.

"So I'll disapparate to just outside Hogwarts and go get Hagrid," Lina directed after she had finished. "You two will start leading Buckbeak in from this end, then we'll find you and Hagrid will show us where the hippogriff herd is," she added, taking a swig of her coffee.

Remus nodded, his mouth full. Sirius chewed silently, studying Lina. Dark shadows under her eyes from the mostly sleepless night made her skin seem even paler. "Are you part of the Order?" Sirius asked.

Lina didn't seem surprised by his question. Although Remus had to admit she hadn't shown surprise at any aspect of the trip so far. He guessed if you were a free-lance hit witch or whatever she really was you might not be surprised at too much anymore.

"No, I'm not, but occasionally Dumbledore is in need of my services, and my work is not in opposition to the Order's goals," Lina answered.

"So Dumbledore hired you to find me?" Sirius asked. At Lina's nod he added with a roguish smirk. "And was it worth it?"

Lina narrowed her eyes at him. "Maybe. I'll let you know once I get my money." She stood and dusted off her jeans, and with a loud crack was gone.

Sirius turned with a smile to find Remus watching him with an exasperated expression. "You look like a starving scarecrow and you're actually trying to flirt with her?" Remus asked, shaking his head.

Sirius grinned wider and waggled his eyebrows. "She didn't seem to mind."

"It was a rhetorical question. And that's because she thinks you're pitiful." Remus answered, striding over to grab Buckbeak's lead and push on into the forest.

Sirius caught up with him. "Did she say that – that she thinks I'm pitiful?" He turned his head to look at Remus, who was smirking slightly. Sirius shoved him. "You're a prat."

"And you're an old dog. I guess somethings never change."

An hour or so later Hagrid and Lina found them. Professor McGonagall, unexpectedly followed right behind Hagrid, and her stern face softened imperceptibly when she saw Sirius.

"Minnie!" Sirius sang. "You're looking ravishing as always."

"I'm afraid I cannot say the same for you, Mr. Black. But you managed to keep the hippogriff in fine shape." Minerva replied, her accent softening the clipped words.

Sirius nodded, his bright smile dimming. "What are you doing out here? The Forbidden Forest isn't often your stomping ground."

"The Professor thought she could transfigure Buckbeak's feathers, so he'd not stand out in the herd. He's a righ' handsome fellow, and I didn' want ta risk someone recognizing him," Hagrid answered for her.

Professor McGonagall patted Sirius briskly on the arm as she passed him to stand before Buckbeak. She bowed regally before the hippogriff, and Buckbeak returned the bow almost instantly. She moved around him systematically, wand flashing, as his storm grey feathers changed to a golden brown. Buckbeak arched his neck and rolled his head trying to see, and gave an annoyed chirrup when he stretched out his wings and saw the new color.

"It's all right, Buckbeak," murmured Sirius. "You're still a gorgeous brute. Now I won't be seeing you for a while, so you stick with the herd and mind your manners." Buckbeak made a soothing coo and nudged Sirius with his beak.

Remus caught Lina's smile out of the corner of his eye, which instantly vanished as Sirius turned back around. "So, onward then, fellow travelers," Sirius said, shaking Hagrid's hand and swooping a light kiss onto Minerva's cheek.

Remus nodded to Hagrid and McGonagall and turned to leave. "Mr. Lupin," called Professor McGonagall after him, "see that Mr. Black eats properly, will you?"

"I shall do my best, but you of all people should know how infrequently he heeds my advice," Remus responded with a half-smile. He nodded to her again, and trudged off behind Lina, hands in his pockets. It was a much cooler walk here than it had been in the woods further south. The soft morning light filtered through the trees and birds called cheerfully to one another.

"So, we will drive the caravan back to my brother's house later today, and then disapparate back to London," explained Lina. "I thought Buckbeak did quite well with all the traveling and then his makeover. My brother will be thankful he didn't wreck the caravan."

"Buckbeak was a good friend," Sirius replied softly. "Always willing to share his rats with me. Not that I could eat many of them. Even as a dog there are…limits."

Lina nodded. "I once ate mopane worms on a job in Zimbabwe – sort of like a caterpillar. They weren't too bad, but I don't think I'd order them at a restaurant."

"What is your job, exactly?" asked Sirius.

"I go where I need to and do what has to be done."

"That's not an answer," he huffed, turning to look at her.

"Well, sometimes I'm a tracker, sometimes I'm hired muscle, sometimes I'm a…retrieval specialist."

"I was an Auror," Sirius offered abruptly. "Well, in training to be one anyway. When I wasn't helping with the Order of the Phoenix."

"I'd planned to be an Auror," said Lina. "But it turns out I have problems with authority, so I guess I'm kind of a self-taught freelancer."

Sirius lapsed into silence. Lina turned and began to walk backwards in front of him so he had to look at her. He raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"What would you like to eat now that you don't have to eat rats anymore?" asked Lina.

"I…um went to a curry restaurant a few times after we graduated," replied Sirius. "It was good. Different to what I'd had growing up. I'd like to try it again."

"Have you ever tried Mexican?" asked Lina, turning back to walk beside him. "If you like spicy curries you'll probably like it as well. There's an herb they use a lot that is a little controversial, though."

"How can an herb be controversial?" asked Sirius with a chuckle. "Unless it's weed?"

Lina laughed. "It's coriander leaves. Yanks call it cilantro. Some people love it and some think it tastes like soap, but it's in almost everything. I love it, personally. I spent some time in Texas on a job once and a witch and wizard I worked with introduced me to it."

Sirius smiled, then leaned forward suddenly to brush a leaf out of her hair. Startled, Lina stumbled over an exposed root and fell sideways. Sirius grabbed her arm and dragged her back upright. "I wouldn't expect a tracker to trip over a tree root," he said teasingly.

"Oh, shut it, Black," Lina grumbled, even though her eyes were still smiling.

Remus smirked to himself. The walk back to the caravan was surprisingly filled with light conversation. Having spent most of the last two weeks solely in her company, Remus knew Lina was anything but chatty. He suspected she was trying to keep Sirius' mind off Buckbeak, although she was not being obvious about it.

* * *

Lina pulled into a self-service car wash in York just after lunchtime. As they climbed, stiff-legged, from the car, Remus gave her a side-long glance. "Why aren't you using magic to clean it?"

Lina rolled her eyes. "Phillipe won't believe that magic can get things as clean as soap and hot water. He'll ask me for the receipt too, to make sure I've washed them both."

Sirius rolled his head around, trying to relieve the tight muscles in his neck. "As charming as your company was, darling Lina, I don't care to ever spend that long in a vehicle again."

"Are you going to sell that ruddy motorbike of yours, then? And Hagrid's been taking such good care of it for you." Remus asked, innocently widening his eyes.

Sirius spun around, his whole face lighting up. "Has he kept it? That's brilliant!" he laughed, looking for the first time as Remus remembered him so long ago.

"All right, lads. Enough chit chat there," Lina called. "Stand away from the car unless you want a quick shower."

Remus and Sirius backed away obediently, Sirius watching the process curiously as soapy water shot out the end of the hose, coating the Yugo and caravan. When she finished, Lina tossed them two sponges. "Now you can help scrub the windows and the wheels."

Sirius looked surprised, but gamely approached the dripping car and began cleaning the windscreen. Remus walked around the other side, then quick as a wink threw his sponge at Sirius' face. He heard the muffled yelp as he ducked behind the car. Crouching down, he circled around the back, only to feel soapy water flow down his head and the back of his neck. Jumping up, Remus saw Sirius laid out flat on the roof of the car. How'd he get up there so fast? Sirius slid off the roof as Remus darted back to the front of the car and grabbed up the discarded sponge from his first attack. They each dashed to the back of the caravan and launched their sponges simultaneously at one another, only to watch in dismay as the sponges smacked Lina on both sides of her face as she came up to start rinsing off the car. Without a word, Lina turned on the hose and doused Sirius from head to toe.

The remarkably high-pitched shriek that came out of his mouth meant that Remus would be taking the mick out of him for quite some time, but he had only a moment to process that thought before Lina turned the hose on him too. Soaking, shivering and much subdued, the pair made their way back to the front of the car and began quietly scrubbing away at the windscreen. Sirius glanced up and shot an abnormally shy smile at Lina, then looked away from her stern face. Only Remus noticed the answering smile she allowed herself to show after Sirius looked away. He glanced back at Sirius and was met with the most delighted, mischievous grin he'd seen since they left school. Sirius made a face as he ran a hand through his dripping hair, shot a wink at Remus, then ducked once more behind the caravan. Padfoot leaped out a moment later in front of Lina and shook himself violently, spraying her with water.

When Lina recovered from her shock, she grabbed the spray hose again, and quickly shoved more coins into the slot. With narrowed eyes and her lips twitched up in half a smile she waved the hose back and forth in a large arc, creating a waterfall effect that drenched them again. Padfoot barked happily, leaping up to try and catch the spray. Remus grabbed up his sponge and tossed it at Lina. Distracted by the dog and the hose, Lina completely missed seeing the sponge until it landed on top of her head. She wrinkled her nose and snatched it from her head, launching it back at Remus. They played for several minutes until Padfoot decided to catch a soapy sponge in his mouth. He instantly dropped it again and made frustrated growly noises while he licked his chops, trying to rid himself of the offending taste. Remus started to laugh, a deep full laugh that shook his whole body, and scattered water droplets from his hair.

Sirius transformed back and half-heartedly glared at Remus, still spitting soap out of mouth. He was distracted then by the sound of soft and decidedly feminine giggling coming from behind Lina's hands as she covered her face. So thrilled was he by the sound that Sirius couldn't hold back his own raspy laugh. And the three of them stood there soaked to the skin and laughing; the kind of laughter that makes your cheeks and stomach ache, the kind that diffuses all tension and leaves you exhausted in the most peaceful way possible, forgetting all the bad that has happened or could happen.

* * *

Eventually, with both Yugo and caravan spotlessly shining, the trio pulled into Phillipe's farmyard. Today, however, there was no blonde Viking to greet them. The house and barn were quiet save for the chickens that sauntered around the yard. Remus and Sirius bundled up their belongings from the caravan and Lina packed up the remaining food in a box.

"So is this the headquarters for the Order?" Sirius asked, quickly sidestepping a chicken that zipped in front of him.

Remus frowned uncomfortably. "No," answered Lina. "This is my brother's farm. We're leaving him his car and caravan and then you're going to your headquarters."

"So where is headquarters?" Sirius asked, turning to Remus, who wouldn't quite meet his gaze.

"Your house," mumbled Remus.

"What's that?" asked Sirius. "Speak up, I didn't catch it."

Remus sighed. "Your house," he said apologetically. "Twelve Grimmauld Place."

A faint disappointed and wounded expression crossed Sirius' face before he gave a curt nod. "Ironic I suppose. A household that hated everything the Order stands for being our hideout. But I bloody hate that place."

"Well," said Lina, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, her normal take-charge manner a little restrained, "this is where we say goodbye."

Remus came up and shook her hand. "Thank you, Lina. We truly appreciate all you did."

Lina turned to Sirius. He gave her that shy half smile again, which Remus thought looked almost unnatural on his face. "Maybe you could think about joining the Order," Sirius said softly, "or…could I send you an owl sometime?"

Lina smiled, like a nanny whose charge was trying to talk his way out of bedtime. "Your owl wouldn't be able to find me. We shall just leave it to fate to see if we meet again…but this has been the most entertaining job I've had in a long while. I wish you great happiness, Black. I hope you enjoy your freedom."

Sirius smiled and hid his disappointment. He pecked her on the cheek and gathered up the bags. Remus grabbed the carton of food, and they nodded to Lina once more before disapparating. The pair appeared in an alleyway off Grimmauld Place, and slowly crossed the street, number twelve revealing itself with a groan of scraping bricks. The two of them stood on the steps, staring up at the front door. "Home sweet home," Sirius replied dourly.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 ~ July, 1995

The old wizard's eyes studied the younger witch, trying to maintain a somber expression.

"It's not complicated, Professor Dumbledore. And you can't honestly be surprised that I'm here. The Magical Congress of the United States is concerned with how Great Britain is handling the threat of Lord Voldemort. He is a terrorist with aspirations rivaling that of Grindlewald. And clearly how things ended in 1981 were not sufficient to stamp out the threat he and his followers pose. MCUSA is content to let the Ministry of Magic handle things for now. But I have been placed here with the task of observing your progress and reporting back if or when I feel things have gotten out of hand and require intervention from MCUSA and/or the International Confederation of Wizards."

"Ah, but as I no longer have a position in the Ministry and have been removed from my post as Supreme Mugwump with the ICW, how do you feel observing me will help with any deliberations?" he asked, his eyes beginning to twinkle and a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

At this, the younger woman leaned forward and pinned him with her own stare. "My colleague will be handling things at the Ministry. I will be looking into… _other organizations_ …" She sat back in the chair and sighed, reaching for the cup of tea on the desk. "You know full well that officially I'm not even in this country, so let's drop the pretense."

"My apologies, Miss Scamander." Dumbledore inclined his head toward her and took up his own tea cup, sipping and pondering before he spoke again. "It was not my intent to make light of the situation. Indeed, I had hopes that ICW would be more eager to get involved than they were the last time. But the power of the press, as it were, has been used to the opposite effect."

"Well, to be honest, sir, you are even more optimistic than I am. MCUSA will most likely not get involved until they or their pocketbooks are specifically targeted. But I will certainly do what I can behind the scenes to generate sympathy for your cause. Quite frankly the whole pure-blood issue is mind boggling to Americans, so they don't take it as seriously as they should."

"How nice that Americans are so free from the entanglements of prejudice," a deep silky voice interrupted mockingly.

Artemis Scamander looked over her shoulder at the newcomer and slowly scanned him up and down before turning back to her teacup. "Nonsense. We just limit ours to everything that's not a non-magical human," she muttered sarcastically.

Severus Snape couldn't decide at that moment whether to be offended that she paid him so little notice or impressed that she didn't seem the typical overly friendly American. He turned his attention back to Dumbledore. "You wished to see me, Headmaster?"

"Yes, Severus, I understand you are heading out shortly. I would like Miss Scamander to accompany you there. She will be staying with us for a while. Miss Scamander, may I introduce you to our Potions Master, Severus Snape. Severus, this is Miss Artemis Scamander, an unofficial representative of MCUSA who's not really here."

Artemis rolled her eyes, and stood from her chair, grabbing the suitcase by her feet. She held out her hand to Dumbledore, then turned and faced the Potions Master. Snape was looking out the window towards the sun, which was beginning to sink into the horizon.

"Ready when you are," she said brightly. Snape shifted his gaze to her and looked her up and down like she was an insect that had found its way into his path. _Touché_ , she thought, remembering how she'd looked at him when he entered the room.

Severus stepped into the large fireplace in the corner, and stood to one side. "Let's not dawdle, Miss Scamander," he drawled in a bored voice. "The sun has almost set."

Artemis stepped into the fireplace beside him, suitcase in hand, and gave Dumbledore a little wave. "Adios, sir. I'm sure we'll be in touch," and she grinned at him.

Snape glared at the unfamiliar farewell, and threw down a handful of Floo Powder. "The Hogs Head."

Artemis unconsciously grabbed his arm with her free hand as they were jerked away from the Headmaster's office. She tried to close her eyes and will away the nauseated feeling as they zipped to their destination. When they arrived at this Hogs Head place she bowled him over completely as they landed, pinning him to the ground with a thump, flinging the suitcase off to the side.

"Well, I'm not usually this easy on a first date, but you certainly know how to sweep a girl off her feet," Artemis laughed, as she clambered gracelessly to her feet. She thought about offering a hand to the other man, but the terrifying glare on his face made her rethink it. She dusted off her cloak as Snape got to his feet, and looked around the room, a dingy bar of some kind.

The dark man glared at her and gripped her arm, disapparating them away from the bar. They landed in an alleyway, and Snape pulled Artemis along out onto the street. She stared up at a row of houses before a slip of paper was shoved under her nose. _The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at twelve, Grimmauld Place, London._

"Remember that. It is the only way you will be able to find the house again," Snape's deep voice hissed in her ear. Artemis nodded, watching as the house they needed slowly appeared between the others.

A moment later the front door was flung open and two men stood in a dark hallway beyond . One was rather dashingly handsome, although he looked like he hadn't been eating well, with long dark hair, a heavy dark mustache, and a scowl on his face. "You certainly left it to the last minute, Snape," he barked out. "The moon is almost…" his voice trailed off as he noticed Artemis standing there.

"He should be grateful I am doing this at all," Snape sneered back, shoving past them into the house as he pulled a vial of potion from his robes. He had apparently recovered his dignity, if not his good humor after the hard Floo landing. Artemis followed him inside, lugging her suitcase.

"I am grateful, Severus," spoke the other man. His voice was soft and tired. Lank brown hair fell over his forehead and dark circles highlighted gentle blue eyes. His mustache was less impressive, and a day or two worth of stubble covered the rest of his face. Suddenly he stiffened and his nostrils flared. He turned on Artemis abruptly, drawing his wand. "Why is she here?" he growled, his eyes flickering. Artemis froze. Both Snape and the dark-haired man seemed surprised at this abrupt change. They flicked their eyes toward Artemis, but stayed focused on the third man, slowly pulling out wands. Snape held out the vial of potion and began to move cautiously toward him.

"Lupin, you need to control yourself for a few more moments. I have your potion here." Snape's voice was commanding and smooth; his dark eyes glittered in an expressionless face. Artemis was clearly not going to get any clues from his body language about what was happening, so she turned her attention to the handsome, dark-haired man.

He was also focused on the third man, but his face was concerned and slightly puzzled. "Remus, what's going on? The moon…" he stopped himself abruptly with a glance at Artemis. "There's still a good half hour before you have to leave," he finally said.

The man shook his head angrily. "What about her?!" he shouted. "Has she had any potion?! She stinks of werewolf!"

"Oh brother," muttered Artemis.

All three men now had drawn wands aimed at her. She slowly raised both hands in a gesture of surrender. "Listen," she began slowly. "You can take my wa…"

" _Expelliarmus_ ," Snape's clipped voice rang out, and her wand flew into his hand. Artemis allowed herself an eye roll at that.

"I'm not a werewolf," she continued, calmly. "It's my cloak he scents. I'm going to take it off and toss it to the pirate over there."

"Am I the pirate?" muttered the dark-haired man confusedly as he caught the dark blue cloak with his free hand.

Artemis flung the heavy braid that hung over her shoulder back, and tilted her head, exposing her neck where she knew the werewolf could scent her pulse point, fluttering slightly. Moving her hair back had also revealed a long, twining tattoo of black and silver stars that ran from her temple down her neck and over her collarbone, disappearing into her clothes. Lupin approached her slowly, and leaned forward, inhaling the length of her neck. He then peered closely at the tattoo, and the scars beneath them. Finally, he stepped backwards, stumbled and almost seemed to collapse within himself. The pirate dropped Artemis' cloak and leaped forward to support him, taking the vial of potion Snape held out again.

"My apologies," Lupin said, so quiet Artemis barely heard him. "I…I need to go." He grabbed the vial from his friend and downed it quickly. Lupin turned and trudged up the staircase. The pirate shot Snape and Artemis a glare and turned to follow him.

"Well, if the dramatics are quite finished, I will take my leave." Snape's dry, dark voice startled her, and Artemis jumped slightly.

"Right. Thanks for the wonderfully kind escort," she said sarcastically. Snape's eyes flickered, but beyond that his expression revealed nothing. Artemis leaned in close to him and whispered, "Now, don't expect me to fall all over you again until you've taken me out for a nice dinner."

She pulled back and stared at him, trying to detect a blush or flicker of interest, but he remained frozen in place. "Huh. You're a tough one. Well, I'm sure I'll see you around, Sev," and she grinned and winked at him."

He turned away and stalked out of the door, slamming it shut behind him. Artemis was left alone in the dark, dingy hallway. "Okay then," she murmured to herself. "Wait here or show myself around? Better wait a bit, so I don't seem rude." She picked up her cloak, which had been dropped by the pirate, and draped it over the suitcase.

" _Lumos_ ," she said, lighting a small lamp by the front door. Then she paced up and down the hall humming to herself, studying a grotesque display of house elf heads and an umbrella stand that looked like it was made from a troll leg. Not five minutes later, the pirate returned. He clattered down the stairs briskly, clearly bent on getting some answers.

"Who the bloody hell are you and what was that all about?" he snapped.

Artemis stood and turned toward him. "I am so very sorry about that," she began. "I had no idea anyone involved was a werewolf. I would have had the cloak packed away."

"Why do you even have a cloak that smells of …?" he asked. "No, never mind," he interrupted himself, shaking his head. "You can take that up with Lupin later. Who are you?"

Artemis straightened herself and turned on her professional voice. "My name is Artemis Scamander. Dumbledore has given me permission to stay here and observe the Order of the Phoenix and report anything of interest back to the Magical Congress of the United States, if and when I believe MCUSA or the International Confederation of Wizards needs to be involved in the current problems concerning Voldemort."

The pirate looked annoyed. "Am I running a boarding house?" he muttered under his breath. "First the Weasleys, now this." He frowned at her skeptically. "The ICW knows about the Order of the Phoenix? And Dumbledore is letting you stay in my house to watch and report on us?"

Artemis screwed up her face. "Well…okay, so some of us know about you. Look, officially I'm not even in the UK. Clearly Dumbledore hasn't mentioned anything…and the charming Severus didn't stick around to help explain," she muttered. "You must think I'm a lunatic." Her face brightened suddenly. "I know! How about we grab some dinner and I can explain it all so it sounds more legit?"

The pirate looked more amused now than skeptical. "Look, Kitten, you've just said you're moving in with me and now you want to take me out to dinner. That's fast work, even by my standards. How about we start this conversation over again?"

Artemis huffed a soft laugh. "Well, since I pinned Severus to the floor as I fell out of a fireplace earlier I guess fast is just how I'm operating today."

The pirate snorted and made a face. "Kitten, Not even your lovely face can make up for that image."

"Okay - I'm starting over. My name is Artemis Scamander. I work for MCUSA, in a sort of black ops group for intelligence gathering. We'd been given some intel that Dumbledore had a semi-secret organization working against Voldemort. Dumbledore had confirmed this and invited me to unofficially join the Order so that if the need arises MCUSA will already have someone in place with reliable intelligence. Is that better?"

"Brilliant. Thank you."

"Ummm…are you going to tell me your name? I keep calling you _The Pirate_ in my head."

"Should I feel insulted or complimented by that?"

"Oh, complimented of course. Pirates are very dashing."

He beamed. "I am dashing, aren't I? My name is Sirius Black. I'm letting the Order use my home for Headquarters."

Artemis' eyes widened. She was alone in this old mausoleum of a house with a werewolf and a convicted mass murderer. Lovely. Dumbledore must trust them, but… She narrowed her eyes and studied Sirius Black intently.

He sighed and slumped down to sit on the stairs. "I was framed for those murders," he muttered.

Her gaze softened and Artemis gave a quick nod. "Okay. My offer of dinner still stands. How about it?"

Sirius smiled at her approvingly. "I'd love to take you up on it another time, but I really need to stick around for Lupin tonight."

"Fair enough. What's there to eat? I'm starving."

Sirius looked slightly embarrassed. "Well, there's not much, to be honest. My house elf is temperamental, and I'm rubbish in the kitchen myself. Remus isn't too bad, but he's clearly going to be of no help tonight."

"No worries. You can point me to a grocery store and I'll take care of it." Artemis stood to her feet with a smile.

Sirius thought for a moment. "Well, the nearest wizarding grocers is over in Diagon Alley. But there's a Muggle shop around the corner. Have you got Muggle clothes?"

Artemis looked down at her clothes and then looked at Sirius. "Won't these work? I'll grab a jacket and leave the cloak."

Sirius, for the first time, really looked at the woman in front of him. He'd assumed by her slightly hyperactive way of talking that she was young, some fresh ambitious thing just out of school, but now he had to rethink his assumption. Her clothes seemed young. She was wearing dark, worn jeans with those black, heavy looking boots he'd seen some kids wearing at the caravan parks. Her t-shirt had some picture on it of a band he recognized from his school days. The thick dark hair was braided and hanging over her shoulder, once again mostly covering the tattoos running down her face and neck. Her eyes were aqua blue with thick lashes, but there was a shadow beneath them and soft wrinkles just starting to crinkle at the outer corners of her eyes. Maybe she was closer to his own age than he'd thought. "How old are you?" he asked abruptly.

Artemis' features hardened slightly, and her voice took on a slight edge. "What has that to do with anything?"

Sirius raised his eyebrows at the change. "Not a thing. Your clothes are fine…very Muggle-ish."

Artemis nodded. "Okay. I'll be back in a bit." She rummaged around in her suitcase and pulled out a small handbag.

Sirius walked her to the front door. "Now be sure you remember the address. You'll never find the house again otherwise."

"Got it. Adios, pirate!" she called from the doorway, then disappeared into the clear, cool night.

Sirius slowly closed the door behind her. He headed up to the drawing room and slouched into one of the velvet armchairs, pondering the events of the last hour. Apparently he now had two roommates. He supposed he should be annoyed at playing host to a spy, but he was rather intrigued instead. And this Artemis was…entertaining, although that could easily be an act. Spies were supposed to be good at that sort of thing. Look at Snape and Wormtail. Well, she'd given him the benefit of the doubt when she found out she'd been dropped off at a house with a werewolf and a convicted killer. He guessed he could do the same for a spy.

Sirius eventually dragged himself from the chair and made his way to the kitchen. He stood in the doorway for a moment trying to see it through her eyes. He thought it was pretty pathetic, so he guessed she would too. He scourgified the dishes piled around the counter and made a half-hearted attempt to put them away. Oh well. Maybe they could set fire to it and start over. He lit a few extra lamps and had filled the tea kettle just as he heard the front door open.

"Hello? Sirius? Where's the kitchen?" Artemis called from the hallway. Suddenly a painting in the hallway began to shriek and scream at her. _Filthy mud-bloods! Polluting the Most Noble House of Black! Abominations!_

Artemis yelped, dropping one of the bags of groceries and fumbling for her wand.

"Oh, shut up, you old hag!" Sirius growled, running into the hall and flinging a drapery over the painting. "Sorry about that," he added to Artemis, scooping up the bag on the floor. "That's my mother…charming woman she was not. I try to keep her covered up, but the damned house elf keeps moving the drapes. He adored her."

"Don't worry about it," said Artemis shaking her head. "It startled me, but I'll be prepared for it next time. It wasn't the eggs I dropped, was it?" she added, peering into her bag. "Nope, they're here, good."

"Listen, the, uh, the kitchen isn't great," murmured Sirius, apologetically. "But I'm sure we can change it somehow if you want…not that I'm assuming you'll spend a lot of time in the kitchen…although I guess if you're going to be observing us that is where we usually meet…sometimes we meet in the dining room…"

"Sirius?"

"Yes?" he answered, finally looking her in the eyes.

"Why are you rambling?"

"I've just realized that I am an ill-equipped host. I've only been back in decent society for a couple weeks and Moony's an old bachelor. This house has been empty for quite a while, and as you can see it's a mess..."

"Sirius?"

"Yes?"

"You're still rambling. Where's the kitchen?"

"Ah…through here," he walked toward a door in the long hallway, carrying the other bag of groceries. Artemis shook her head, smiling, and followed him through.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 ~ July, 1995

The large shaggy dog stood up and stretched. He turned and nosed the man sleeping next to him before walking off, transforming back into Sirius.

Remus grudgingly sat up and reached for the pile of clothes next to him. He dressed slowly, his movements stiff and tired.

"Bed or breakfast?" asked Sirius, his voice thick with sleep.

"Bre…" Remus cleared his throat and tried again. "Breakfast." He felt like he'd swallowed a sock.

The two friends trudged down the stairs to the basement kitchen. In the long hall they could hear the faint sounds of music. They both sniffed the air confusedly.

"What do you smell?" asked Sirius, making a strange face.

"Ummm…cinnamon and…steak?"

"That's what I thought."

Sirius pushed the door to the kitchen open and stopped so suddenly Remus bumped into his back. He tried to see over Sirius's head, when a bright female voice called out, "Come on in! Food's ready."

Remus pushed Sirius into the room and his eyes widened as he took in the changes. The walls and cupboards had been transfigured to light colors, the table was scrubbed and shining. Windows had been enchanted onto the basement wall to imitate sunlight streaming through them. Bouncy swing music was playing from an old tabletop radio, and steam rose from various pans on the stovetop.

Artemis studied their stunned faces for a moment. "My, Grandma, what big eyes you have."

Both men turned to stare at her. "Did you… just make a wolf joke?" snorted Remus gruffly.

"Too soon?" she asked innocently.

"Are you married?" asked Sirius, stroking his moustache thoughtfully, eyes twinkling.

"Bit presumptuous, eh?" asked Remus dryly.

"Doesn't matter, we're keeping her."

Artemis shook her head, chuckling. "I don't know. Tall, dark and icy from last night is a pretty hard act to follow. And his voice…yowza."

Sirius shuddered. "New subject. This is the best this cursed house has ever looked. How did you manage all this?"

Artemis grinned at him. "I was always pretty darn good at Transfiguration."

The men sat at the table while Artemis dished up the food. Sirius poured cups of tea from the pot on the table. He smiled appreciatively at the plate set in front of him - scrambled eggs, sausages and iced cinnamon rolls were piled on.

"I…uh…wanted to apologize for the way I acted last night, Miss…" spoke Remus softly. He brushed his hair away from his eyes and glanced quickly at the woman standing by the stove.

"Don't worry about it," she said briskly. "It was a perfectly reasonable reaction based on the circumstances."

"I'm Remus, by the way…Remus Lupin."

"Artemis Scamander."

"I'm sure Dumbledore wouldn't want to place you in an uncomfortable position here if you'd prefer other…uh…housing arrangements.

"Well, if this is the Headquarters for the Order, then this is the place I need to be."

"Oh…right…well then, I'm sure I can find another place to stay."

At that, Sirius dropped his cup into the saucer with a clatter, and Artemis turned to face Remus, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion. She stared at him until he blushed and looked down at the table. "I know it can be uncomfortable for some people, and after last night…" he trailed off.

Sirius watched, fascinated, as her features softened, then hardened again in a look of fierce protectiveness. She walked over and placed a plate before Remus, then stood silently beside his chair. He looked up at her hesitantly. "I do not have a problem with werewolves," she said sternly. Then she patted his shoulder briefly and turned back to the stove.

"Uh…right…that's good then." He turned his attention to the plate and furrowed his brow. "What is this?"

"Prime rib."

"Do Americans usually eat prime rib for breakfast?"

She laughed at that, and shook her head. Remus just sat there, expectantly.

Artemis sat down at the table with her own plate, filled like Sirius', and finally realized Remus was still sitting there, waiting for her to say something.

She frowned. "What do you usually eat after the full moon?"

"Maybe a little porridge, but not too much of anything."

"Actually, he doesn't usually eat a thing the morning after," added Sirius between sips of tea.

"But…doesn't it take you forever to feel better?" Artemis asked, still frowning at him. "Have you ever tried rare meat the day after? It makes a huge difference!"

Remus raised his eyebrow uncertainly, but gamely took up the knife and began to cut into the steak. It was rare all right - so rare he was pretty sure the middle was raw. He tentatively took a mouthful and his eyes widened. He'd expected to feel nauseated with the first bite, but it was quite the opposite. He felt less sore and tired with each mouthful, and kept shoveling in the dripping red meat until he realized that it was half gone and the other two people at the table were staring at him, smirking slightly. Remus forced himself to set the knife and fork down and take a sip of his tea.

"Thank you, Artemis. You're right. It does help," he said, trying to sound nonchalant.

She grinned and winked at him. "Starving the wolf won't benefit you in the long run."

"Where were you thirty years ago?" Remus huffed, stuffing another piece in his mouth. He observed her unobtrusively as he ate. She was wearing a blue sweatshirt with the Ilvermorny crest on it and pink plaid pajama bottoms. Her dark hair was piled up on her head in a mess with her wand skewered through it. Yesterday's makeup was smudged slightly around her eyes.

"How do you know so much about werewolves?" asked Sirius, curiously.

"It's classified."

Sirius waited a moment for her to clarify, but her expression was now strangely blank. "So, Artemis Scamander," Sirius drew out the name languidly as he poured himself another cup of tea. "As you have prevailed upon my hospitality, I think it's only fair that you tell us all your secrets."

Artemis smiled and took a large bite of a cinnamon roll, preventing her from answering for a few moments. Sirius munched on his own roll, leaning back in his chair with his arm draped over the back. Remus shook his head. Sirius only did that because he thought it made him seem sexy. Remus had polished off the steak and settled back in his own chair with a sigh of contentment, pulling his teacup toward him.

Finally Artemis swallowed and gulped down some tea. "Well, I am technically a spy, so if I tell you my secrets I have to obliviate you…or kill you. How about you ask what you want to know and I'll tell you if I can, okay?"

"Why are you here?" Remus asked.

"Intelligence gathering for MCUSA. I'll leave it at that for now, because I'll have to get into all the details later at the meeting."

Remus nodded. "So are you related to Newt Scamander, who wrote _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_?"

Sirius groaned. "That is a boring question, Moony. Of course she is. How many Scamanders do you know?"

Artemis shook her head at him, smiling, and turned towards Remus. "Yes, I am. Newt Scamander is my grandfather. Actually I'm named after him. His middle name is Artemis."

"So, what's the story with the scars and tattoos?" asked Sirius.

She shot Remus an apologetic smile. "Werewolf, people react better to tattoos than scars. And…the rest of that story is still classified."

"Fair enough," shrugged Sirius. "How old are you and are you seeing anyone?" he added, leaning toward her and fixing her with a smoldering gaze.

Remus choked on his tea and Artemis laughed. She winked at Sirius, like he was a little boy caught in the cookie jar, but she felt sorry for him. She felt sorry for both of them. She wasn't sure what Sirius had been through beyond his time in prison, but he didn't look any healthier than the werewolf the morning after the full moon. "That is also classified. So, Sirius, how long have you lived here?"

Sirius got a funny, sour expression on his face. "No one has lived here for a very long time. Remus and I arrived a few days ago. You came last night, and the Weasleys are moving in today."

"Who are the Weasleys?" she asked interestedly.

Sirius turned to Remus, resting his chin in his hand, "What's the collective noun for Weasleys? A gaggle of gingers? A rookery of redheads?"

Remus pulled a face. "Be nice, Sirius. The Weasleys are a good family, and they've been wonderful to Harry. Arthur and Molly have seven children, only four of which will be here, Fred, George, Ron and Ginny."

Artemis' eyes widened. "That's a full house. You don't seem like you want them here?" she asked Sirius, smiling sympathetically.

Sirius shrugged. "Arthur's all right. The kids are fine. It's just that Molly's a…a bossy…interfering…"

"Mum," interrupted Remus. "She's a mum, and she's cares fully as much for Harry as you do. She has every reason to be concerned by his behavior…and yours," he added under his breath.

Remus volunteered himself and Sirius for cleanup duty since Artemis had cooked. She smiled gratefully and said she'd go grab a shower and get ready for the Order meeting at 10:00. As she left the room, Sirius turned back towards Remus and raised his eyebrows. "Well? What do you think of our new roommate?"

"She seems nice," said Remus hesitantly, "but she's also a spy. So her job is to be what her government needs her to be."

Sirius nodded thoughtfully. "That's true. Odd job, that, having to pretend to be something you're not. Snivellus is quite good at it, but then he's a sneaky, devious Slytherin."

"Lina was in Slytherin too," he responded, and Sirius made a face at him. Remus wondered, not for the first time, how nature versus nurture worked when sorting children into houses. Eleven sometimes seemed like a very young age to set people on a path that would dictate so much of their future. Each house focused on specific character traits, but people were complex. For each child that benefitted from being called out as courageous was there another that was quickly smothered by the callous recklessness that sometimes exemplified Gryffindor? He figured that was probably true of all the houses.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 ~ July, 1995

A few minutes before 10:00 people began knocking on the front door. The kitchen table was soon surrounded, people staring and murmuring over the changes to the room. Silence fell as the new woman entered the room. Gone was the rumpled, smiling girl Severus, Sirius and Remus had met. A hard-edged professional had taken her place. Artemis' robes were dark blue with silver stars matching her tattoo embroidered along the collar. Her hair was intricately braided and pinned up, wand hidden in a pocket rather than tucked into her hair. A pair of black glasses perched on the end of her nose, and she held a stack of parchment. She nodded at the assembled group and took a seat to the left of Dumbledore, who sat at the head of the table.

"Well, as we have a new colleague, I believe some introductions are in order," began Dumbledore. "An opportunity has arisen to inform the Magical Congress of the United States, and by extension the International Confederation of Wizards, of exactly what we face in this upcoming conflict with Voldemort. They have permitted two representatives to come to Britain for intelligence gathering. One of them is officially here working with the Minister of Magic."

There was a skeptical huff from someone around the table, and Dumbledore allowed himself a brief smile. "But we will concern ourselves with the representative that is here unofficially to observe the Order of the Phoenix. I present to you Miss Artemis Scamander. Miss Scamander, the Order includes Severus Snape, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, whom you have already met. The others here are Alastor Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks, Aurors for the Ministry; then Arthur and Molly Weasley and their son, Bill. There are a few others involved who were unable to attend today."

Each nodded or waved a hand as they were introduced. A tall, well-built black man in impressive purple and blue robes then raised his hand slightly. "I am Kingsley Shacklebolt, Miss Scamander. May I ask what precisely MCUSA's aim is in having spies embedded in the Ministry and the Order? For that is what you are, correct?" A hint of an accent mitigated the sharp tone of his question.

Artemis looked him dead in the eye. "I am here to observe and report on the efficacy of the Order in dealing with the threat of the terrorist known as Lord Voldemort. My colleague will be doing the same at the Ministry. Any and all information gathered will be used to determine if or when international forces need to be involved to help contain the threat. Obviously MCUSA and the ICW would prefer the situation be contained to and handled by your Ministry." She then offered a sardonic smile. "Technically if we were spying you wouldn't know we were here at all."

The grizzled older man called Moody nodded approvingly at that. "Well, then. The lay of the land is this. Voldemort is back and holed up at Malfoy Manor, laying low. We're in the intelligence gathering phase ourselves. Which of his former Death Eaters have returned to him? What are his plans? We are currently in no position to confront him openly. The Ministry of Magic refuses to acknowledge the threat."

Artemis nodded. "Okay. If you want to give me a list of names of his current known followers, I'll reach out to some people on my side of the pond and see if they're trying to recruit there. I also have some slightly less savory European contacts. That should give us an indication of how far his reach currently is."

The rest of the meeting was spent with each member giving a briefing of any new information they had uncovered. Artemis stayed quiet and took notes, her sharp eyes also picking up details about each member - when they sounded confident, when they sounded uncertain, how they responded to other members. With the exception of Bill Weasley and Nymphadora Tonks, all the other members had fought Voldemort previously. They were the ones who seemed the most determined to put everything they had into this venture, and the least certain it would actually work. It was understandable. He had been subdued for fourteen years, but not completely vanquished. His defeat in 1981 was primarily due to a completely unforeseen circumstance, and there was no way of knowing how things would play out this time. Alone, Voldemort was still a colossal threat. If he were able to gather enough followers this time, he may very well be unstoppable.

* * *

As the meeting broke up, Artemis excused herself to the drawing room to compile her notes. "May I have a word with you both?" Dumbledore asked as the last members of the Order left the kitchen. Sirius and Remus returned to their seats at the table, waiting expectantly. Sirius was hoping for some kind of task to occupy his mind and time. Hiding out in this dingy place sat ill with him, and he was tired of trying to justify his depression each time Remus found him holed up with a glass of firewhiskey and The Rolling Stones' _Paint It Black_ turned up loud enough to try and drown out the screams inside his head. Remus was less eager to hear what the old wizard wanted. In the back of his mind was always the fear that Dumbledore would ask him to approach any of the werewolf packs about where their loyalties might lie in the upcoming conflict. He had done it once before in the last war, and it had been the single most terrifying, brutal experience of his life.

Dumbledore sat again at the head of the table, his expression somber. "I wished to ask you both to keep an eye on Miss Scamander."

Sirius frowned. "A protective eye or a wary eye?"

"Perhaps both."

"I thought she was here with your approval, Albus. Why would you have someone involved that you didn't fully trust?"

Dumbledore sighed. "We may have need of the Americans and their influence. We are not in a position to refuse help when it's offered and potentially burn bridges."

"What are your specific concerns?" asked Remus. "Do you have contacts in America that can vouch for her or have they given you reason to doubt?"

"As the Muggles say, 'The jury is out.' Her family is exemplary, but her own past seems…shall we say, checkered? After school she taught at Ilvermorny for a couple years in the areas of No-Maj Relations, what we call Muggle Studies. Then apparently she and her brother were recruited as Aurors by MCUSA. They worked together for several years until her brother disappeared. She then seems to have spent a little while as a mercenary and has only recently returned to working for MCUSA."

"How was is that MCUSA knew about Voldemort's return so quickly?" asked Remus.

"Xenophilious Lovegood is a friend of the Scamander Family. He knew that Artemis was in a position to be of potential help to us."

Sirius looked skeptical and exasperated at that. "Lovegood? That isn't very reassuring."

But Remus looked interested. "I taught his daughter, Luna. Is she very much like her father?"

Dumbledore smiled at this. "She is perhaps more like her mother in the way she can unerringly and eloquently put her finger on the heart of any issue, without regard for the status quo. Xenophilious is more single minded and less in tune with emotional undercurrents. But he is an excellent judge of character. So I perhaps place a higher value on Lovegood's opinion than I do Miss Scamander's employers. But it is, I think, wise to be cautious in this, hence my request of you both."

"We spy on the spy," said Sirius. "Well, it will at least give me something to do while I'm trapped here."

* * *

Remus was holed up in his room editing one of the manuscripts Obscurus Books had sent him. He was immeasurably grateful to Lina for connecting him with the publisher. They weren't at all concerned with how he scheduled his work around the full moons as long as he finished it in a timely manner. It was right at this moment a little hard to concentrate, as Sirius had insisted in hiding in here with him to escape Molly's war on dust and the doxies in the drawing room curtains, and kept tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair.

The light knock on the door was both another annoyance and a relief. Remus didn't want to be interrupted, but Sirius did stop the infernal tapping to open the door. Artemis was there with a tray of tea and cake. "I thought you might need a snack," she whispered.

"Thank you, but we could have come down for tea, you didn't need to bring it up," said Remus.

"Oh, aren't you hiding?" asked Artemis.

"Yes, we are," said Sirius firmly, opening the door wider. "Why don't you join us?"

"I don't want to interrupt if you're trying to work," she said, addressing Remus.

He shrugged, "Sirius was making it difficult to concentrate anyway." He moved to clear a pile of things off the desk, but Artemis just set the tray down on the floor and knelt beside it. She poured out tea and handed around plates of chocolate cake, before settling herself on the floor with her back against a leg of the bed.

"So, I've noticed a bit of tension since the Weasleys arrived," Artemis began matter-of-factly. Sirius scowled at her.

Remus snorted. "That's the understatement of the year."

"And, I had an idea," Artemis continued, ignoring Remus' comment. "Sirius, you need a hobby; something to keep you occupied and away from Molly."

"I am occupied and away from Molly," he said waspishly.

"Fine. Occupied, away from Molly, and away from me and Remus. You either pick fights with her or hover around me in the kitchen or distract Remus while he's trying to work. Any of that is fine in small in doses, but you can't flit from one to the other all day long. You're making yourself miserable and us crazy."

Remus tried to keep a neutral expression on his face, but he was surprised. He hadn't expected Artemis to be that observant or invested in how the household was running. He looked at Sirius, who was holding Artemis' gaze steadily, but looked a little…guilty.

"Fine," Sirius huffed. "What do you suggest?"

Artemis gave him a long look before getting to her feet and leaving the room. She returned a moment later with a painting and thrust it towards him. "I found this cleaning your room." A werewolf, stag, and huge dog scampered back and forth across the canvas under a full moon, a rat clinging to one of the stag's antlers.

"Do you think I should get a pet?" Sirius asked mockingly.

"No, I think you should draw, paint, create beautiful things. You painted this, right? Your initials are on the back. You know, the large front bedroom can be turned into a studio, the light's really good in there."

"Sure, I'll become an artist," his voice scoffed, but his eyes studied the canvas thoughtfully. "I'll think about it," he added grudgingly.

Artemis smiled and gathered up the tea things to leave, the door closed behind her with a soft click and Remus turned toward Sirius. "It might help, trying to paint again. Maybe give all your nervous energy an outlet. But…"

"But what?"

"She rather has you wrapped around her little finger, doesn't she?"

Sirius frowned down at the painting. "No, not exactly. It's just the way she can encourage and reprimand at the same time, and sometimes the way she looks at me when she's trying to get me to do something I don't want to do she reminds me of…"

"Who?" asked Remus curiously.

"Never mind," said Sirius, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter. I'll leave you to your work." He rose quickly from the chair and left the room.

Remus stared at the door for a moment, before shrugging and turning back to his book.

* * *

It took Sirius a couple days to agree. He'd hemmed and hawed until Remus suggested Molly could teach him knitting instead. So Sirius flipped him off and handed him a list of art supplies to pick up. He would spend a good couple hours each morning and afternoon sketching on the canvases and then tentatively adding color. He took over the old master bedroom since it did have the best light, with big windows facing out over the street. And it helped. The incessant finger tapping lessened, the others got more work done, and there were far fewer whiskey glasses scattered throughout the house.

Sirius couldn't paint at night. The darkness was too overwhelming - there were not enough lamps to see the colors clearly and his emotions seemed to mirror the dark. So when he couldn't sleep he took to wandering the house, letting the emotions cascade over him. It puzzled him sometimes how this didn't make him feel worse. He stood in the drawing room, hearing again his mother's furious voice ordering him to leave the house and never return as she renounced him as her son. He heard his own angry voice respond, and in his memory, for the first time he caught a flicker of an emotion cross her face that wasn't anger, but his teenage self hadn't seen it. He stood in Regulus' room, where both the happiest and most despondent memories lay. He knew his boyhood anger toward his brother was to cover up the immense hurt and fear he felt for Reggie. Sirius sighed. They were meant to be stars. He dredged up a long forgotten memory of his mother, where her voice was soft and proud instead of angry. Regulus and Sirius. Her stars…fallen stars now.

As he stood before the canvas the next morning, he began to fill in the sketch with firm, almost angry brush strokes. So much lost, but he still had this one opportunity to redeem a glimpse of a happier past. The faces began to emerge – one older, one younger, both with dark thick hair, grey eyes – one pair with just a hint of blue in them, two smiles – one mischievous, one tolerant. After several hours, Sirius stepped back and considered the painting. Nodding slowly to himself, he took his wand and waved it over the canvas, murmuring softly. Then he placed the wand to his temple and began to draw out memories and attach them to the painting. The spell to bring life to artwork and allow them to interact was simple, but to implant an essence into one was more complex. In the event that the person wasn't present to provide their own essence, memories could suffice, but memories are subjective and can be biased. For Sirius, that happened to be just want he wanted, as he intentionally drew out only the happy memories he shared with his brother. The portrait of the two became the first to hang in the large room. Others would follow as Sirius finally allowed all the pain, regret, love and hope to flow through him. It helped him feel a little free, even if he still couldn't leave the house.

* * *

I highly recommend Charis77's story "Let It Be," that describes the first time Sirius tries painting. Beautiful and poignant. s/13185380/1/Let-It-Be


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 ~ August, 1995

Remus finally gave up trying to sleep in the hot, still room. He perused the bookshelves trying to find something light that he hadn't already read. Light reading of any kind was pretty scarce in the House of Black. He finally found a worn copy of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ , and began to flip through it. Artemis had mentioned she was in the Wampus house at Ilvermorny, so he flipped over to that creature and began to read, but his mind still couldn't seem to settle. He paced around the room for a bit before moving over to the desk and pulling out the mirror.

During the insane cleaning spree, Sirius had found the mirror in a cupboard in Regulus' room. He'd probably used it to communicate with Kreacher and keep their father unaware of it. The kid had always had a soft spot for that elf. The small mirror sat on a gold easel and allowed you to look into the kitchen via a large wall mirror. Sirius' mother had initially used it to keep tabs on the servants but eventually terror was just as effective a tool. He figured this was a pretty good way to spy on Artemis. She usually worked in the kitchen, claiming the room was cozier. For the first couple weeks they took it in shifts, until Sirius began to spend so much of his time on his art. Then Remus kept the mirror at his desk, half watching Artemis work as she analyzed the intel the Order was slowly collecting, or listening to her sing as she rolled out dough and chopped vegetables. It was all so nice and ordinary that Remus didn't know whether to think she was the best spy in the world or just in the wrong line of work.

He didn't actually expect to see Artemis in the kitchen at that time of night, but the lamps there were lit and heavy, driving rock music was playing on the radio. That was new. She usually played old, bouncy swing music. He watched as she shrank the table and chairs out of the way and transfigured a small doll into what appeared to be a dueling dummy. She held out her wand and spoke words over the dummy that he couldn't quite catch.

He jumped slightly as the dummy fired off a spell without even waiting for her to step back and salute it. Artemis spun out of the way, casting up a brief shield and firing off her own hex. The dummy glowed briefly, and began to move about, casting jinxes and hexes toward Artemis. Remus watched, mesmerized, as plates were shattered, cupboards fell. Artemis almost danced through it all to the harsh music, her face scrunched up in concentration. She got hit with something that threw her backwards into the icebox, then again with some kind of cutting spell. He saw the blood seep through her shirt and down her arms. He was about to leave and go to the kitchen to check on her when she leaped up from the floor and threw two knives at the dummy in quick succession. One hitting the abdomen and one hitting the neck. Remus hissed in surprise as she transformed into a large tawny wildcat of some kind and launched herself across the room. His brain froze for several moments, trying to process the sight of the animal tearing into the dueling dummy. Sharp teeth ripped the fake wand out of its hand, and then proceeded to tear chunks from its rubbery body.

Remus sank down into a chair, holding the mirror numbly. Artemis changed back into herself and stood for a moment surveying the damaged room. Her chest rose and fell as she heaved in great gasps of air, pain flickering across her face. She yanked her shirt over her head and pulled a vial from a drawer. Pulling out the stopper, she began dabbing the potion on her wounds. Remus could see the lines of blood across her stomach. She turned slightly to reach further back on her waist, and he could clearly see old scars running down her back. She retrieved her wand from where it had fallen when she hit the ice box, and methodically began to move about the room repairing all the broken things. The music had changed when the fight ended. This new song Remus recognized. Queen had been a popular Muggle band when he was at school, and Sirius in particular had really liked them. Remus had always been on the fence. He appreciated the music, but found the lyrics sometimes depressing. The song playing now felt particularly grim in light of the fight…or training…or whatever it was he had just witnessed.

… _just killed a man,  
_ … _life had just begun,  
_ _But now I've gone and thrown it all away._

 _Didn't mean to make you cry,  
_ … _nothing really matters._

Artemis faced directly into the mirror as she finished putting things right in the kitchen and replaced the table and chairs. Remus was taken aback by her expression, or complete lack of one. She might have been sleepwalking, her eyes lifeless. She then grabbed a whiskey bottle and glass and sat at the table. Pouring a large amount, she threw back the alcohol and slammed the glass down on the table. The volume on the radio grew even louder, and Remus belatedly realized she must have cast a silencing charm on the room. He could hear the sounds through the mirror, but not from the room itself beneath him.

 _I don't wanna die,  
_ _I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all._

The song began that crazy fast section that Sirius always liked best. Remus watched with a sick feeling in his stomach as Artemis quickly drank glass after glass of the whiskey. As the song ended she slowly stood, placed the bottle in the bin and the glass in the sink, turned out the lights and left the room.

 _Nothing really matters,  
_ _Nothing really matters to me._

As the song faded away, Remus carefully placed the mirror back in the drawer. They weren't playing host to a spy. She was an assassin.

* * *

"What's eating you?" Sirius asked the next day, as Remus paced around the room. Sirius stretched out on his bed, shirtless and barefoot in the heat, leafing through a catalogue of magical art supplies - self mixing paint, brushes that changed tips as you needed it, canvases with predictive sketching…

"I'm not sure her being here is a good idea," Remus finally said, cringing internally.

Sirius looked confused. "Why? I think she's brilliant. She's sweet and funny…she cooks for us…she's lovely to look at…how could you possibly want her to leave?"

Remus walked over to the window and stared out at the street, waves of heat coming off the blacktop. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, showing an assortment of scars up and down his arms. He ran a hand over them absentmindedly. "I saw her…training…I guess. She had a dummy charmed to fire off random hexes and she was dueling with it."

"So what? She was an Auror. They have to practice dueling when they're not out in the field. Now that I think of it, we should probably practice too."

"But she didn't just duel. She had…knives strapped to her…and…she's an animagus."

"She is?" A wicked grin crossed Sirius' face. "What is she then?"

Remus sighed. "A mountain lion, I think."

"I still don't see the problem. It's kind of sexy, actually, that the kitten has teeth and claws."

"Can you please be serious for a moment?"

"I'm always Sirius."

Remus pinched the bridge of his nose, like a headache was coming on. "Look, I understand that you're attracted to her, but she's…she's dangerous. You get attached so easily." He didn't see a strange expression flit across Sirius' face as he continued. "Besides, one of these days she's going to leave, isn't she? This isn't her home; this is her job. You say she's brilliant, but we're not even completely certain whether being brilliant is who she really is or merely who she's pretending to be for her job."

Sirius began to look petulant. "She willingly stayed here with a werewolf and a convicted mass murderer. I think we should give her the benefit of the doubt."

"You didn't…you didn't see her. Her training…it's intense. And when she was finished her eyes were…dead. And then she downed a bottle of firewhiskey like it was pumpkin juice. She is not who she pretends to be the rest of the time. And I can't…allow her to…I can't go through that kind of betrayal again, Sirius!" Remus finally forced out.

"Well I'm willing to take the risk!" Sirius exploded, jumping up off the bed. "For twelve years all I had were memories, Moony! I can't live on memories. I need something more…I need…I need hope," he trailed off, sinking back down. He dropped his head to his knees, covering his face with his hands. Remus could hardly make out the next words. "I know it doesn't make sense. That blasted traitor stole my freedom. He stole Lily and James' lives and Harry's family. Betrayal ruined us. But…worrying about a traitor and suspecting everyone was almost worse. I destroyed our friendship that last year because I didn't trust you. And I think…I would rather be betrayed again, than…waste time and energy looking for traitors under every rock.

Remus slumped resignedly down next to his oldest friend. "I know I'm a pessimist. The fact that you aren't after all these years should prove there's still hope." He leaned over slightly and bumped Sirius' shoulder with his own. "We'll just wait and see, yeah?"

* * *

The house was stifling and all possible windows were open to try and stir the summer air. Artemis returned from the grocery store one afternoon to hear a heated argument happening in the drawing room. Fortunately, the portrait was covered and Mrs. Black's screeching didn't alert them to her presence in the hallway. She inched up the stairs, closer to the door.

"He should have been here! Why does Albus insist he stay with people who despise him when I am willing and able to take care of him here? He could have died!" It sounded like Sirius was pacing, probably waving his hands around.

"Sirius to be fair, Harry's almost died every year since he started at Hogwarts. Sometimes more than once." That was Remus, most likely standing by the window or seated at the desk. Artemis thought he often intentionally slowed and calmed his voice and movements to counter Sirius' frenetic energy.

"All the more reason to have him here, Remus! This place is hidden."

"If we can trust all of us. But if we can't…if she…he would still be vulnerable here, Sirius! I'm not sure it's right to put Harry in that position." Remus' voice finally rose to match Sirius' intensity.

"You aren't his godfather, Remus. I am." Black's voice dripped with a furious finality. "And Dumbledore's already making arrangements to bring him here." His voice quieted. "Surely with the Weasleys and Hermione here as well things will be fine."

Artemis silently slipped down the stairs and back out the front door, then entered again, purposefully banging the door and calling out. "I'm back! They had ice cream on sale!"

She entered the kitchen and dumped the bags on the table. Kreacher appeared and began to put things away, Artemis quietly helping him as she thought over what she'd just heard. So something had happened to Harry. She was still a little fuzzy on what his exact role in all this was. Voldemort had targeted him – The Boy Who Lived – but for what purpose? She shook her head. Seemed like a lot of effort for just revenge on the kid that happened to mess up your plans the first time, but megalomaniacs tended toward that sort of drama. If Voldemort just wanted Harry dead, he could easily have forced or paid some No-Maj hitman to take him out. No need to worry about getting past magical wards. There must be something else at play here. Dumbledore hadn't told her everything of course, that wasn't how the game was played. And Remus didn't trust her. She wasn't exactly surprised, but it stung a little. And then she was surprised that it stung. She certainly wouldn't have trusted anyone in her position. Sirius didn't seem concerned, but he had cabin fever and she had come around at just the right time to keep him entertained and focused on something besides not being able to work with the Order out in the open. He was still a wanted man, and the Ministry showed no indication that it was reconsidering his conviction. He was out of Azkaban, but essentially under house arrest, which she knew chaffed at him. But if Dumbledore had confided more in Sirius or Remus about his plan or maybe why Voldemort truly wanted Harry, then she needed them to trust her.

She unconsciously sighed and frowned at the sink. "Kreacher has already cleaned the sink," came a scratchy voice from somewhere near her knee.

Artemis smiled down at him. She was trying to like the cantankerous house elf, despite his best efforts. "The sink is fine, Kreacher. I was thinking about something else."

Kreacher nodded wisely. "Kreacher also does not like all the foul blood traitors coming and traipsing all over poor Mistress' house."

Artemis just shook her head. If she could gain Remus' trust she was fairly certain she'd be allowed in to the inner circle as far as shared information went, but that was going to be quite the task. She was lousy at manipulating people into giving her what she wanted. Her strength had always been openness – tell people as much of the truth as possible, and then they assume everything you're doing is honest, and aren't anticipating the bait and switch. Artemis sighed and tied up her sweaty hair into a ponytail. The problem was Remus was already anticipating betrayal, so how was she going to play this? "Silly, suspicious werewolf," she mumbled to herself, feeling a little irritated. Here she was actually on their side, at least until MCUSA decided it was on a different side, and she was having to put all this effort in to being considered an ally. Although, when she thought about it again she wasn't sure why she was irritated, that was her job after all. Artemis shoved the last carton of ice cream in the freezer and shut the door. Sometimes she really hated her job.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 ~ August, 1995

The emotions roiling through Twelve Grimmauld Place since the Weasleys had arrived came to a head the night Harry was brought to the house. Sirius and Molly, who felt equally responsible for Harry, were engaged in a biting, cutting war of words over how much the children should know about the work the Order was doing. Artemis hissed in a breath when Molly commented on Sirius' time in Azkaban, and had to bite her tongue to keep from interfering. Sirius started to rise from his chair.

"Molly, you're not the only person at this table who cares about Harry," Remus intervened sharply. "Sirius, sit down!" Molly looked close to tears and Sirius' face was ashen. Artemis scooted as close as possible to Sirius, gripping his shaking hand under the table and imploring Remus with her eyes to fix this somehow. When Remus calmly, and Arthur reluctantly, agreed with Sirius on letting the children know at least some of what was going on, Molly angrily dragged Ginny from the room.

Remus stepped out a moment later to cover the portrait of Mrs. Black who had begun screeching as Ginny argued and raged all the way up to her room. The rest of them stayed quiet until he returned, all but Harry trying not to look at Sirius. Harry gave him an encouraging smile and Sirius winked back. Artemis felt Harry's eyes flick over her as she held Sirius' hand, running her thumb over his knuckles until he'd stopped shaking. When Remus returned the Order answered Harry's questions as best they could until Molly returned and ordered the children off to bed. This time Remus backed her up, saying Harry and the others knew as much as they needed to for now. Sirius shrugged, and didn't argue, so the five reluctantly went upstairs, Molly following them out.

Artemis rose from her seat to make some tea. When Sirius went to move as well, she placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Stay here," she whispered. Molly was back a few minutes later, hesitating in the doorway. "Molly, would you mind getting out a tray and some of the cookies? I think we could all use a snack," she said in kind voice. Molly nodded with a half-hearted smile and began arranging biscuits on a large plate.

Moody, Tonks and Kingsley said their goodbyes and left. Arthur looked like he wanted to join them, glancing warily from Sirius to Molly. Molly set the plate on the table and sat beside Arthur, as Artemis brought the tea tray over. "Now then," said Artemis in her professional voice that she'd used at the first Order meeting, "we need to fix this right now. I understand how you both feel, and you're both right."

Molly darted a surprised glance at her and Sirius frowned. "Sirius, Molly is a mother. Of course her instinct is going to be to protect her children from harm as best she can. It's terrifying to imagine what might be ahead for them. I'll venture to say they've already experienced more darkness than any of us did at their age. It's natural to want to shield them as much as possible, to allow them to be children."

"But Molly, you need to apologize to Sirius for the remark about Azkaban. That was uncalled for. He spent twelve years not being able to care for Harry the way he intended to. And then when he's finally free he discovers Harry's been abused by his only living family members and he's still not in a position to help. Now he finally can, and the reality is that helping Harry means exposing him to some of what's going on. Sirius didn't put Harry in this position, Voldemort did. Circumstances have dictated that they can no longer simply be children. They already are aware of what they're up against. Hiding too much from them will just breed resentment and mistrust."

Artemis took a deep breath and saw Remus and Arthur nodding in agreement, so she went on, "What's most important is that they trust us to take care of things on our end. And they won't trust us if we don't trust each other. If you two are going to act like his parents, then you have to figure out how to do that together, not in competition. So you are both going to say you're sorry and then we're going to move past this." Finally finishing her speech, Artemis sank into a chair and poured herself a cup of tea.

"How do you know so much about what's happened?" asked Remus, narrowing his eyes at her slightly.

Artemis shrugged. "Ron and Hermione told me. Kids like talking to grownups who actually listen to them. I pay attention…and give them lots of snacks," she added as an afterthought.

Arthur hid a smile. Sirius sighed. "I'm sorry, Molly. I know I'm a grumpy git lately. I just feel like I've traded one prison for another. I know it's a better prison," he hastened to add, "but it's still prison."

"I'm sorry too," Molly said softly. "I'm just…afraid…of how things seem to be spiraling out of control. We lost so much last time. I don't want to lose anyone else."

Sirius nodded understandingly, and Artemis smiled in relief as the tension dissipated. Arthur stood and ushered Molly out and upstairs to bed, his hand resting gently on the small of her back. Remus and Sirius left just after and Artemis sat there for a while, staring off into space.

She finally rose from the table and began gathering up the cups and plates to wash. As the soapy water filled the sink and the scrub brush began its solitary tango back and forth across the plates and around the cups, Artemis flicked her wand toward the ceiling. A shower of pink soap bubbles swirled around the room and the radio played a light happy big band number. Artemis smiled and began popping a few of the bubbles with the tip of her wand. As a little girl, each night after dinner when her own mother cleaned up the kitchen, Artemis and her siblings raced around the room, trying to see who could catch more bubbles. It was a silly thing, but it usually helped her feel better after a difficult day.

After cleaning up the kitchen, Artemis tiredly made her way up the flights of stairs to her room. Hopefully the explosion of tempers and apologies would clear away some of the tension from the full house.

* * *

Truth be told, Artemis was kind of glad that the house was now full to bursting with people. Things were so loud and busy that it kept her from worrying too much about what Sirius and Remus really thought of her. She had noticed Remus watching her more closely since Harry arrived though, and it was starting to grate on her. It had been a while since she'd been imbedded for a job, and she'd never been imbedded with the good guys before. On one hand it should be a lot easier. She actually didn't have to pretend. She could do her job and still be herself. On the other hand, she was becoming attached, and that could be problematic.

Artemis arranged to meet with her colleague stationed in the Ministry the morning of Harry's hearing. She covered up her scars and tattoos with some No-Maj theater makeup and charmed her hair a dull blonde, and set out to wait in a park near the Ministry.

"Hello, Moon Goddess," came a low voice near her ear.

Artemis jumped, a knife in her hand before she recognized the voice. "Good grief, Ben, do you want me to kill you? And don't call me that."

The man who appeared to be in his late sixties with gray hair and round eyeglasses grinned at her unrepentantly. "Do you think you could kill me? I think it'd be a draw at best."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Did you find out any information?"

Ben gave her an exasperated look. "Of course I did. Why do you always act like you've been in this game longer than I have? They sent a Howler informing him of his trial, but the times don't match up. It's on the docket for three hours earlier."

Artemis frowned. "They're trying to get him to miss it intentionally. Well, I have time to get a message to him. Why are they holding a criminal trial for a simple case of underage magic anyway? Especially if it was used in self-defense?"

"Some people are talking about making an example of him. There were no witnesses to the Dementor attack, so he could have just been showing off. And there's a lot of talk about Dumbledore using this boy for war-mongering. There was a student who died during a Tri-Wizard Tournament several months ago, and this Potter boy claims it was Voldemort. Dumbledore backed him up, but again, no witnesses. I have a couple people I'm interested in that seem bent on getting Dumbledore out of Hogwarts. They claim he's too influential, but no longer…uh…I think the phrase was 'in full possession of his faculties.' Anyway…same old, same old. People making power plays. Kid seems more of a pawn in the whole show."

Artemis jumped up and gave the man a quick hug. "Thanks, Ben. I gotta run and make sure Harry gets to the trial on time."

"Hey, where are you working, anyway?" he called after her.

She turned and winked at him. "I'm not even in this country!" she yelled back.

Artemis ducked around a corner and disapparated back to Twelve Grimmauld Place. She burst through the front door yelling for Harry.

Sirius peered down at her from the top of the stairs outside his room. "What's wrong, Kitten?" he asked.

Ron came up the stairs from the kitchen, sandwich in his hand. "Harry and Dad have already gone to the Ministry," he said around a mouthful. "What's going on?"

"They changed the time of the inquiry so he'd miss it. Somebody's got to get a message to Dumbledore and Arthur so they get there on time," she gasped out.

Sirius dashed down the stairs, two at a time. "Remus!" he yelled. Remus appeared on the landing outside his bedroom. "Remus, get a message to Kingsley to find Arthur and Harry. The inquiry is starting three hours early. I'll get a hold of Dumbledore."

Remus disappeared back into his room and Sirius ran into the drawing room. Artemis was still standing in the hallway, her heart racing. She turned and followed Ron back into the kitchen, grabbing the kettle to fill. She'd just poured the boiling water over the leaves in the pot when Sirius and Remus entered the room. "We got to them in time," said Remus tiredly. Molly set out the rest of the tea things, Hermione brought over a plate of biscuits, and they all took their places around the long table to wait.

The relief in the room was palpable when Arthur Weasley and Harry returned with the verdict. It had been an enlightening experience to wait out the tense situation. Molly keep getting up from her seat and puttering around the kitchen. Hermione was tense and still. She pretended to read a book, but never turned a page. Ron was teasing her, trying to lighten the tension, but she kept snapping at him. Remus and Sirius exchanged a look and a knowing smile at the teens' interaction.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 ~ August, 1995

With three weeks left until the start of term, Harry and the Weasleys tried to soak the fun out of each day, pestering and cajoling Hermione until she gave in and set aside homework that she'd finished weeks ago, but insisted on revising. There were protection wards around the house and back garden, so they were able to be outside a bit, but Artemis could tell everyone was getting a little frustrated. The house that felt a tad too big when she'd first arrived now hosted eleven people. The twins, who Artemis had yet to correctly tell apart, were terrible pranksters. You never knew when something was going to explode in your face or turn your hair color or let off some horrible smell. Sirius was usually helping them, and Remus would hurriedly leave the room to keep Molly from hearing him laugh. Hermione and Ginny were frequently heard shouting at the boys, and Artemis suspected Molly was wearing ear plugs most of the time.

One day, on her way back from the grocery store, Artemis passed a small building she hadn't noticed before. It was closed up and quiet at this hour, just before noon, but she read over the card in the window carefully, nodding to herself. This might be just the thing. If she could get Molly to agree, the rest would certainly go along. And thankfully, Molly was usually soundly in her corner. Molly probably wouldn't ever say anything, but what Artemis had done to brighten up the kitchen and make sure that everyone was eating three square meals a day, had endeared her to the older woman.

"You want to take everyone out to a nightclub?" Molly asked doubtfully.

"Well, it's a karaoke bar, not a nightclub. There's music, but mostly people singing…badly."

So what exactly is car—ee—o—kee, again?" Arthur asked interestedly. "Do they jangle the car keys while they sing?"

Artemis tried not to laugh, starting to wonder if this was going to be a good idea. She hadn't realized the Weasleys were so sheltered from the No-Maj world.

"Umm, no. No car keys involved. I believe it's a Japanese word. They play songs and have the words running across a screen so people can sing along. You can pretend to be a rock star for a few minutes."

"Ooo - let's try it, Molly! It sounds fun. Remember when we were at school and we'd all sit by the Black Lake and sing together. You'd braid flowers into your hair."

Molly smiled and blushed slightly. "Well, it was the sixties. Everybody did that," she said exasperatedly. "All right, let's try this car—o—kee." Molly smiled. "It's a lovely thought, dear, trying to organize something before we all go a bit bonkers tripping over each other like we are."

They all pretty much reacted the way Artemis expected. Harry and Sirius were thrilled to get to do something out of the house. Ron, Ginny and the twins were having whispered conferences about whether Muggle music could actually be any good. Remus and Hermione were cautiously looking forward to it, but swore up and down there was no way anyone would get them on a stage to sing in front of people. It took Artemis a week to enchant small radios to play the top songs for the last few decades so everyone would have a chance to learn some Muggle music before their night out.

"Ok. Here's how to get the most out of the evening," Artemis addressed everyone as she passed out the radios. Harry and the twins felt like they were getting a pre-grame pep talk from Wood. "Choose someone or a couple someones to partner with if you don't want to be up there by yourself. Prepare two songs, because I promise you'll love it and want to go again."

They meekly accepted the radios and disappeared in their rooms. For two days everyone kept to themselves, playing the radios and trying to sing along. Silencing charms kept popping up around various rooms or beds or sofas where they were practicing, and Artemis made suggestions on songs and partners.

* * *

"Hey Moony. I think I want to sing _Ruby Tuesday_ at this karaoke thing."

Remus turned to look at Sirius. "Do you think you can?" His brow was furrowed in concern.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Stop looking at me like I'm some fragile orchid. Do you really think a room full of Muggles is worse than Dementors in Azkaban?"

"That's not what I meant, and you know it. Are you ready to say goodbye?"

Sirius let out a long breath. "Yeah. Yeah, I am. She's been gone fourteen years, Moony. I have to let her go." He stroked his moustache, pausing for a moment and then decided to just go ahead and say what he was thinking. "I've realized something over the last couple months. I'm ready to hope again…to live again. If this war ever ends I want to be able to walk away from it and move on. Marlene loved that song, so…yeah…I want to tell her good-bye."

Remus clapped a hand on his shoulder and nodded. "So I, uh…I found a song I thought we could maybe do together, if you want?"

Sirius raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "You said there was no way you would get up on stage to sing in front of people."

Remus grinned. "But this song is perfect for us. I heard it at that Muggle grocers. It's from some television show. You'll love it. Well, you won't really love it because it's very pop sounding, but it's catchy."

Sirius laughed. "Let's give it a go then."

* * *

"Um, Artemis?"

"Yes, Harry?" she replied, looking up from her book.

"I remember when I was little a song coming on the radio and my aunt turned it off really quick and muttered something about my mum. And I don't really know if it's a song she liked, but I thought I'd do that one if you can help me find it."

"Of course, Harry! What do you remember about the song?"

"It was simple, just a voice and a guitar I think, and it was talking about going home on a train. Kind of like a folk song?"

Artemis thought for a while. "A train, hmmm?"

Harry closed his eyes and tried to pull up the memory. "Something about sitting in the station?"

Artemis grinned. "Sitting in the railway station? We can absolutely do that song!"

Harry smiled back shyly. "Would you…would you sing it with me?"

Artemis felt a tug at her heart, that shy smile reminding her of her little brother, also fifteen now and preparing to start his fifth year at Ilvermorny. "I would love to do that, Harry."

* * *

When the night finally came everyone was fidgety with nervous excitement. Artemis and Hermione double checked that all wands were carefully hidden and cloaks were left behind, and glamours in place to hide Sirius and Harry, so it was a fairly Muggle-looking group that made their way down the street to the karaoke bar. Artemis was thankful there were at least a hundred other people already there when their group arrived and found a couple tables together. Harry and Hermione took turns going up the bar with the others to order Muggle drinks and make sure no one accidentally asked for butterbeers or firewhiskey. Artemis oversaw everyone getting their names on the list to sing and make sure the songs they wanted were available and hadn't already been sung to death. Sirius volunteered to be the first of their group, saying he needed to get something out of the way. They had to wait through about four other people before their turns came, and seeing the Muggles sing, some quite terribly, helped more than anything to take care of the nerves.

When Sirius stepped on stage and the music for _Ruby Tuesday_ began you could hardly hear him for the noise of the room. He sang softly, almost to himself, staring off above the crowd. But eventually his natural charisma took over and he had everyone singing with him on the choruses. When he finished he seemed happy, peaceful somehow, and ruffled Remus' hair affectionately as he sat down. Fred and George were next, and people automatically paid more attention to the tall red headed twins. They quickly had the crowd clapping and singing along as they bounced across the stage doing their twin-speak version of _Ice, Ice Baby_.

Arthur was simply entranced. His head hardly stayed still, as he craned and peered interestedly at all the Muggles in the room. Molly had to physically drag him away from the DJ and his mountain of equipment. And then he sat for ages at the bar discussing how the soda flavor gun and automatic dishwasher worked with the bartender. He missed hearing his and Molly's name called for their song, so Fred and George each grabbed him under an arm and hauled him up on stage. The crowd adored the pair of them singing Sonny and Cher's _I Got You Babe_. Artemis, Ginny and Hermione watched them with soppy expressions. When they were finished, Arthur escorted Molly to the edge of the stage and then beckoned his boys to come up. The room cheered excitedly when Fred and George were back on stage and even Ron smiled shakily at all the applause. Arthur leaned into the microphone and said, "This song is for my wife, Molly. We've been married twenty-six years and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat." Molly blew him a kiss from her seat as the rest of the room let out a collective, "Awww!"

Sirius chuckled, "Say what you will about the Weasleys, but they surely know how to enjoy life." Remus nodded, smiling as the four red heads started marching in place as they sang The Proclaimers _500 Miles_. When the DJ called her name, Ginny grabbed Hermione's hand and dragged her to the stage. Artemis jumped to her feet and cheered while Sirius laughed so hard he couldn't speak as the girls sang _Hit Me with Your Best Shot_. They'd even put together a little choreography to it and managed to pull it off gazing at Ron and Harry sweetly the entire time.

The group was a little surprised when Artemis was called up with someone called Rolf, but it was Harry who joined her on stage. "Well, we couldn't exactly use his real name, could we?" Artemis winked at Sirius and walked up with him on stage. Harry started off almost more talking than singing Simon Garfunkel's _Homeward Bound_. When Artemis joined him softly in harmony, their voices actually sounded quite nice together, and Harry became a little more confident. He glanced at Artemis occasionally while they sang, but otherwise kept his eyes fixed on Hermione. She was smiling at him encouragingly like she always did. He felt like he'd hit the friend jackpot between her and Ron. She might be bossy and demanding sometimes, but Merlin, if she didn't make him feel like he could do anything he put his mind to.

They finished the song and walked back to the table. Artemis leaned close and whispered, "I think you were right about your mum liking that song. Take a look at your godfather." Harry looked at the pair of them, Sirius was wiping tears from his eyes and Remus was smiling at him. As they approached, Sirius jumped up from his seat and grabbed Harry in a fierce hug. "That…that was your mum's favorite song. Did you know?"

Harry grinned. "Well, I guessed maybe it was. My aunt said something about it once and would always turn off the radio if they played that one."

Remus nodded. "Clever boy. Sirius and James always went for more of the heavy rock music. Lily preferred folk music. She and Neville's mum, Alice could sing some lovely harmonies."

Harry looked like he wanted to continue that line of conversation but Remus was distracted by Artemis climbing up on the stage and grabbing the microphone like she did this every day of her life. And maybe she did, who was he to know?

"Hey guys!" she said brightly in her very American accent. "The DJ very kindly found this song for me, although he said no one had asked for it so far. It's a pretty popular country song back in the states, and it's kind of fun, so please join in or dance or something if the mood strikes you!"

A lively fiddle and clapping started off the song, and their group eagerly joined in.

 _Well any man of mine better be proud of me  
_ _And even when I'm ugly he still better love me  
_ _And I can be late for a date that's fine  
_ _But he better be on time_

Ginny and Hermione started giggling. Molly was nodding approvingly. Fred, George, Arthur and Sirius all stood up and tried to copy the rather awkward dance moves she was doing on stage, laughing and shoving one another.

 _And if I change my mind  
_ _A million times  
_ _I want to hear him say_

The whole room joined in as Artemis yelled, " _Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I like it that way!"_

"Merlin, I love that girl," muttered Sirius, elbowing Remus as he sat back down. "I hope she stays forever." Remus didn't answer. He was…well, a little mesmerized by the subtle sway of her hips and the way her hair bounced around her shoulders. For the first time in a very long while he didn't feel older and more tired than he should at thirty-five.

Artemis finished the song with a laugh and a bow, blowing kisses to the room as she left the stage. Ron and Harry high-fived her as she came back and sat down, trying to catch her breath. "All right, Sirius, you're up!" And her eyes widened in surprise as Remus stood and followed him up on stage.

Artemis smiled as Sirius swaggered around the stage, trailing the mic cord behind him. She dearly hoped he didn't trip Remus while he was at it. "Well ladies and gentlemen, I'm told this song is from a television show. I think it's a good reminder to keep your friends close, especially when things are rough."

As the guitar riff began the room erupted in cheers. The men looked surprised by the reaction, Artemis and Hermione started to laugh.

 _So no one told you life was gonna be this way_

Remus actually startled when the whole crowd (minus their own group who really had no idea what was going on) clapped the four beats following the first line.

Artemis could see Hermione lean over to Ron and Ginny, trying to explain to them about the popular American sitcom. They shushed her, intent on watching their calm, quiet, former Professor try to sing. Remus didn't have a strong voice, but he could harmonize. And Sirius was hamming it up and carrying the melody. When they got to the bridge of the song the two friends looked at each other, like they were making a promise, and Artemis was surprised to find herself blinking hard to stop the tears.

 _No one could ever know me  
_ _No one could ever see me  
_ _Seems you're the only who knows  
_ _What it's like to be me  
_ _Someone to face the day with  
_ _Make it through all the rest with  
_ _Someone I'll always laugh with  
_ _Even at my worst, my best is you_

As they finished, the pair bowed low to the audience. Then Sirius grabbed Remus in a tight hug, laughing and pounding him on the back. The teenagers were all on their feet clapping and cheering. Remus was laughing as well. He returned to their table while Sirius went to get more drinks from the bar. "That was great!" Artemis said, patting Remus affectionately on the arm.

He laughed at her enthusiasm, feeling that not-quite-so-old feeling again. The group chatted and listened to the other Muggles while they finished their drinks. Finally making the short walk back to Twelve Grimmauld Place. Molly hugged Artemis, thanking her for the fun night out, then hustled the kids off to bed. Artemis wandered down to the kitchen and found Remus making tea.

"You read my mind," she said, smiling at him. "If you share your tea I'll share my chocolate," she added, rummaging around in back of a cupboard.

"Have you been holding chocolate hostage in this kitchen?" Remus laughed. "Unacceptable."

"Well, it's being liberated now." Artemis sighed and collapsed into a chair facing the fireplace, pulling off her boots and stretching her legs out into the chair next to her. Remus handed her a steaming mug and sat across the table, leaning forward to snatch a few of the small wrapped pieces of chocolate piled in front of her.

"It was a good idea this," he finally said. "Everyone had a good time and it was therapeutic too. I think I wouldn't mind doing it again…maybe next year," he added around a huge yawn.

Artemis held up her tea cup for him to toast. "I will drink to that."

Some tea sloshed over the rim as he clinked his cup against hers, scalding his hand. "Damn!" he hissed, setting the cup down quickly and shaking his fingers.

"Language, Mr. Lupin," tutted Artemis. "You're a werewolf, not a swearwolf."

"Really?" huffed Remus, looking at her exasperatedly.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 ~ September, 1995

The house was very quiet with Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys back at school. Molly and Arthur had returned to the Burrow after dropping the kids off at the train station. Alastor Moody, Nymphadora Tonks and Sirius had insisted on accompanying all of them to ensure that nothing happened to Harry before he got to Hogwarts.

Artemis was pleased for Sirius that he was able to leave the house for a bit, but it made Remus uneasy. There were too many people at the train station that could recognize him, so he made Sirius promise to stay in his animagus form and not go onto platform 9¾. He was none too certain that Sirius would keep his promise, but hopefully Moody would help keep him in line. _Maybe. Probably not. Damn dog._

"Remus," Artemis called from the hallway, "I'm going up to check out Sirius' paintings. I've been dying to see them. Do you want to come?"

Remus came out of his room. Her dark hair was loose today; she didn't often wear it like that. In the dim light he could see waves of black tresses flowing around her pale face. The words of the old Roma woman sprang to his mind: _She will bring them. Raven haired and strange in speech. She will release the captive wolves…_

He shuddered internally and cursed his poetic turn of mind. There was nothing prophetic about her, he was being foolish. Remus shook his head. "If Sirius wanted to show us his paintings he would. I don't want to invade his privacy."

Artemis just looked at him for a moment, then turned away. "Suit yourself," she called over her shoulder. "But if you want to keep an eye on me while I'm up here in case he asks who was messing with his stuff, feel free!"

Remus sighed audibly. This is exactly how he felt so many times with James and Sirius. _Come on, Moony! We're going to put dungbombs under the Slytherin table in the Great Hall. You can study later! Moony! We need you help us figure out a way to drop this everlasting pink hair dye on Snivellus! No one will know it was us! Moony, we need a loophole!_ Certain he would probably regret this too, but equally unable to ignore her. Remus reluctantly followed.

"I don't really like being manipulated," he said, climbing the stairs. "I get enough of that with Sirius."

"That was honesty, not manipulation," Artemis laughed. "And Sirius is as manipulative as a five-year-old, everything's obvious and you can't decide whether to be annoyed or charmed by it."

Remus stopped in the doorway of the room, overwhelmed at the sight. Sunlight streamed in from the large front windows. An easel was set up in the center of the room with the current painting. All around the walls hung sketches, half-finished or completed works, along with some photographs that the paintings were based on. Remus wasn't the least bit artistic and had only a vague understanding of the spells needed to bring wizarding paintings to life, but apparently Sirius knew. There was a smallish one of Lily and James holding baby Harry, waving and smiling happily. The original photograph was clipped above it. There was a large one of Buckbeak, bowing and ruffling his wings regally. Remus saw himself, sitting at the desk in the drawing room scribbling on a piece of parchment. As though he knew he was being watched, the Remus in the painting looked up at real-life Remus, smiled and shook his head, as though he knew exactly what he was thinking, which he probably did. And partially hidden behind a stack of parchment was a square landscape of the Forbidden Forest, a dainty red fox with ears perked, turned and stared at Remus from the painting, tilting its head slightly.

"He's good!" said Artemis in a happy soft voice. "I'm so glad. It's miserable working really hard on something you want to love and not being very good at it."

Remus looked over at her curiously. "What aren't you good at?"

"Dueling," she answered simply. Remus tried to hold back the sarcastic laugh, but didn't quite succeed. Artemis shot him a puzzled frown, then returned to studying each work. She slowly and methodically worked her way around the room.

"Why did you want to see his paintings?" Remus asked after a while.

Artemis shrugged. "What do you want to hear? I'm supposed to spy on you, aren't I? So I'm spying on him and you're here spying on me."

She sounded nonchalant, but stopped looking at the paintings, moving over to stand by the window. She looked out over the rooftops at the cityscape, a wistful expression on her face.

Remus stopped at the next painting on the wall, darted a glance at the woman by the window and then turned back to the piece of art. It was a painting of Artemis. She was standing in the drawing room looking out the window, just as she was now. Painted Artemis sighed and turned to Remus with that same sad, wistful expression, she took a sip of the tea that she was holding, then looked back out the window.

"They don't talk," came a low voice behind him, causing Remus to startle. He hadn't heard Artemis cross the room over to him. "That must take a separate spell or painting technique." She stood quite near to him as she studied the painting of herself. "What would she say, do you think?"

He cleared his throat uneasily. "Shouldn't you know?" he asked.

"Once upon a time I might have known. Now I'm not so sure…She seems unhappy…Do you ever feel like life is crashing down a course you didn't choose and can't control?"

"Yes," Remus answered simply. "I wouldn't have chosen to be a werewolf or have my friend in prison for something he didn't do. I wouldn't have chosen to watch the people I love die. I wouldn't have chosen to watch children suffer through an evil that should have been stopped decades ago."

"How do you not lose hope?"

Remus sighed. "I probably would have long ago if not for James, Harry's dad. He never lost hope. It practically bubbled out of him…drove me crazy sometimes if I'm honest. He never felt anything was outside the realm of possibility. Sometimes I feel obligated to carry on, because he would have… Is this some form of interrogation?"

Artemis smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm terrible at interrogations – too empathetic." She frowned then. "I'm actually not that great at my job overall. I think they assigned me here to get me out of the way for a while. Then they'll probably shuffle me off to a desk job somewhere when this is over."

Remus frowned at her thoughtfully. "So do you think there's any chance of help coming?"

Artemis looked sad and angry. "Honestly, no. I hate it, but…the idea of blood purity is so unfathomable to Americans. We're very strict about the management of magical creatures and dangerous beasts and upholding the Secrecy Act, but…you have to understand…Our school, the entire American wizarding society was founded by a No-Maj, a witch, and two adopted wizards that had no way of knowing their magical ancestry. We're bound together by ability, not heritage. And with your own Ministry not acknowledging Voldemort's influence, all they're hearing is some rogue wizards are randomly attacking people. And that's a job for your Aurors, not an international incident. I mean…It's not like you're being invaded."

Remus felt a wave of frustration and hopelessness wash over him. "All civil wars start with an invasion by one's own countrymen," he said as he began to pace.

Artemis touched his arm. "I know," she said softly. That's why I'm here."

His frustration got the better of him and he turned on her, "To what purpose?" he blazed. "You waltz in here making us believe you care! That there's a chance someone might help! But now you say it's pointless. This darkness encroaches and people call it light and there's no one to contend against it except us. Help won't come, you won't stay. And we'll still be here, trying to stop him until all of us are dead."

Artemis took a step back in surprise. "I do care," she replied curtly, "but my influence is limited and officially my hands are tied."

Remus slammed his fist against a table, sending paint and brushes toppling over. "This is not about you!" he growled, as he took a step towards her. "This is about our country! Our families! Our future! You have no idea what it's like to watch the people you love die by a dark power you can't stop."

Artemis had drawn her wand without thinking. "Don't…don't you dare make assumptions about me!" she hissed. Remus grabbed her wrist and wrenched the wand from her, tossing it aside.

"Trouble in paradise?" came Sirius' mild voice from the doorway.

Remus spun towards him, his grip still tight on Artemis' wrist. She yelped in pain, as he jerked her with him. He dropped her arm at the sound and turned back to look at her.

"Moony, what the hell?" asked Sirius sharply.

Remus glared at Sirius. "Sod off," he said tightly, and shoved past him out of room.

Sirius grimaced and bent to retrieve Artemis' wand. "Now then, I've known Remus Lupin since I was eleven years old," he began slowly. "It's very uncommon for him to react impulsively unless it's his time of the month, and that's a week away." He held out her wand and ducked his head slightly to look into her eyes. "So what did you do to set him off?"

"I told him I didn't think the Americans would help," she mumbled.

"Well, I don't think deep down any of us expected them to help. There has be more to it than that, Kitten," Sirius said firmly, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms over his chest.

Artemis groaned, "Ugh, I don't know exactly what happened. I was trying to explain why Americans don't understand all the blood purity nonsense, but I was trying to help, and he…lost his temper. And then he shouted at me…and I…pulled my wand on him."

"He shouted…what could he have possibly said that would make you think you needed to draw your wand on him?"

"He…he acted like I was pretending to care, but…that eventually I would leave…and the rest of you would still be here…fighting and dying. And then he said I didn't know what it was like to lose people."

"Ah…now we're getting somewhere," Sirius said, nodding sagely. "It was the comment about losing someone on top of the comment that you were only pretending to care?"

"How long is this interrogation going to continue?" Artemis muttered.

"Oi. I'm trying to be understanding here, but in the end I will take his part against yours every time. So help me out," Sirius replied sternly.

"Ok, fine! He hurt my feelings, ok?! Is that what you want to hear? It's frustrating that after two months he still thinks I'm only pretending to care about the situation here. It absolutely sucks that your government won't admit there's a problem and my government won't get involved. But I'm doing the best I can. And then for him to assume that I've never lost anyone is…is…infuriating. So I lost my temper and drew my wand on him. Are you happy now?" Artemis was practically yelling.

"Did he hurt your wrist?" Sirius asked gently.

Momentarily confused, Artemis looked down. Faint bruises from Remus' finger tips splotched the underside of her wrist. She moved it around slowly. "No, it's fine," she said glumly. "Just a few bruises, nothing broken."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "If a man leaving just a few bruises on you means everything's fine I think you need to meet better men."

Artemis attempted a halfhearted laugh. "I was a mercenary Sirius. I've left bruises and broken bones on most of the men I've met too."

"Ah…yes, well…I don't think Remus will see it like that. He already thinks he's too dangerous."

Artemis exhaled loudly. "Yeah. Stupid werewolves and their stupid guilt complexes. I'll apologize ok?"

Sirius smiled and nodded. "Good. And let him apologize too. But he'll still probably need a while to get past it – that he overreacted and hurt you, I mean. It will take longer for him to forgive himself. And him shouting isn't really a bad thing. When he's well and truly angry he uses an extremely calm and pleasant voice. Terrifying really. And as a side note, he's impossible to argue with. Remus wields words as well as he wields his wand. Try pouting a little or making puppy dog eyes at him next time."

"Had a lot of experience with that have you?"

Sirius smiled and winked at her. With that one simple smile, Artemis' brain shuddered to a halt. After weeks of seeing Remus' suspicious glances and having him second guess her every word and movement, Sirius' one brief smile had been…trusting. And a completely unexpected incomprehensible longing rose up in her. She wanted these people to trust her. She was so tired of every location and relationship being about a job. She wanted friends that cared about her as much as this household cared about one another. Artemis quickly returned his smile before he could notice something was amiss. But Artemis decided in that moment she was done; done being a spy, done working for an institution that cared more about the status quo than the people it was design to protect. This fight was enough. These people were enough. She would take her final stand here, and consequences be damned.

* * *

The next morning Remus and Sirius came into an empty kitchen. Huge omelets were waiting for them on the table, charmed to stay hot, and a plate of chocolate muffins held a note. _Remus, I'm sorry I lost my temper. A~_ Remus stared at the scrap of parchment for a long moment, then sat and ate his breakfast in silence.

"So, would you like to tell me your side of the story?" Sirius finally asked.

"What's there to tell? You know I overreacted."

"Fine. You both overreacted, so apologize and move on."

Remus made a noncommittal noise and sipped his tea. After several minutes Sirius cleared his throat, and Remus sighed. "Some things are hard to move on from, Sirius. Some days that anger is just under the surface all the time, and she is so…unsettling. I could have really hurt her yesterday."

"Remus, do you honestly think for a minute that she wouldn't have taken you down if she'd actually felt threatened? She wasn't scared of you. She was angry and you hurt her feelings. Just apologize for that and let it go. You're more scared of you than anyone else is."

"With good reason," Remus said through clenched teeth. "Even when I could have killed Harry you were trying to reason me out transforming. When are you going to accept what I truly am?"

Sirius shook his head stubbornly. "No. I refuse to accept that. I refuse to let you continue to find your identity in a disease."

Remus stared down at the table. "You didn't feel that way fifteen years ago."

Sirius felt like he'd been doused in ice water. "I was afraid. And I'm not trying to make excuses. Moony, there are not words to tell you how sorry I am for thinking you could have possibly turned to darkness all those years ago. Fear does ugly things to people."

"Sirius, I can't quite believe we're still having this conversation. It doesn't matter how much you wish it away, I am volatile, murderous, and completely out of control. It's reasonable and a matter of self-preservation to fear that."

Sirius shook his head again, his dark hair falling into his face. "No, that's just it," he said, pushing back his hair impatiently, "You choose the one time a month that you feel that way and let it define every other day of the month. When you met me I had spent eleven years hating people like you and believing they deserved death. That's far more time than all your full moons added together."

Remus almost rolled his eyes. "You were just a kid."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "So I can't be held responsible for something I had no control over, and I shouldn't let that part of my life define me?"

Remus didn't answer, his whole posture radiating defeat. Sirius sighed heavily and blinked back sudden tears. "I'm the one who should be wallowing in guilt. We left you alone," he said in a gruff voice. "James and Lily died because I…I was afraid and trusted Peter over you, and the world was such a crazy chaotic mess, and then…you were the only one left."

Sirius looked as vulnerable as Remus had probably ever seen him. He shook his head slowly. "Their deaths are all on Peter, not you, and…and you were alone too," he murmured.

"Still – almost two hundred full moons by yourself. You deserved a better friend than I've been Moony." Sirius sniffed and wiped at his eyes. "I guess I feel responsible for part of why you're scared."

"Scared of what?" frowned Remus.

"Trusting Artemis; caring about someone else who might leave," said Sirius softly.

"I care about plenty of people, any of whom might leave or die at any moment," Remus responded stiffly.

"Nope. That's not going to cut it with me. Sure, you care about them, but you keep them at arm's length telling yourself that it's all going to end the same way. They'll leave you or you'll be forced to leave them. Harry told me how…accepting you were about leaving Hogwarts, despite the fact that you were a brilliant teacher. I've known you a long time, and deep down you think that's all that will ever happen for you. That's no way to live, mate."

Irritation washed over Remus. "Sirius you just apologized and then turned around and made how I conduct my personal life about you. You…you haven't known me for a long time. You knew me a long time ago. There's a difference."

Sirius watched in confused silence as Remus left the room, banging the door slightly on his way out. A solitary pink bubble floated down to the table and popped, leaving a soapy circle on the scrubbed wooden top.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 ~ October, 1995

Over the next several weeks Order members streamed in and out of the house. Artemis continued Molly's campaign of cleanliness, and had cornered Bill Weasley and convinced him to help rid the house of all the cursed objects. That process was proving tedious and exhausting, even after he'd asked Moody and Tonks to help. Walburga Black's painting alone was layered with six different dark enchantments. They neutralized and destroyed piles of books, artifacts and paintings. Artemis gave the Black Family Tapestry to Kreacher to keep in his little nest, and she was pretty certain he'd squirreled away a few other objects before they got to them, but she let him alone for now. As they cleared room after room Artemis and Molly went along behind and redecorated. Sirius was amazed at the changes. Paint colors were lightened, rugs and pillows fluffed up, bedding redone. Sometimes he was certain, watching her, that Artemis forced the house to change through sheer willpower. He could tell Professor McGonagall was treating her with a new level of respect each time she came for a meeting and saw the most recent changes. Only the row of house-elf heads in the hallway were oddly deemed impossible to remove so Artemis transfigured them each into wooden carvings. Sirius asked for alternating silhouettes of a stag, a dog and a werewolf.

With all the activity Remus hadn't had a chance to speak to Artemis privately and apologize, not that he tried very hard. He was actually putting quite a bit of effort into avoiding her, as she seemed to be everywhere at once with all the curse breaking and cleaning. But she finally cornered him late one night in the drawing room. Sirius had already gone to bed, saying he wanted to get up early and try to sketch the sunrise. The fire crackled cozily, and Remus had settled down on a sofa with a cup of tea when Artemis suddenly appeared, her own tea cup and a sandwich in hand, and plopped down beside him. "I think we need to talk," she said, tucking her feet up under her and turning towards him.

Remus stayed silent, but glanced over at her. Her gaze was fixed on him and she sighed a little at the guilty look in his eyes. "Ok, I'll start," Artemis said. "First off, I don't blame you for not trusting me. I wouldn't trust me either, especially since I told you I couldn't do the one thing I was sent here to do. Secondly, you don't need to apologize for me. You need to apologize for you. You are beating yourself up over what happened far more than I could. Thirdly, we both apparently have bad tempers when we're cornered. That's just something to be aware of in the future, not something to run away from. I overreacted because I felt wronged. I do happen to know what it's like to lose people to darkness. Your fight is worth fighting, and I promise to give it my all for as long as I can. And I'm sorry I drew my wand on you rather than say all that at the time."

Remus was shaking his head. "Doesn't matter. Nothing should excuse me hurting you like that. There was no reason for me to not drop your hand the moment I took the wand. I just…" He glared down at his cup. "I just wanted to…to force you somehow to understand. I lost everyone I cared about in this fight and I…I just couldn't take the thought that you and the rest of your country were treating it so cavalierly."

Artemis set her cup and sandwich down and scooted closer to him. She took his cup from his hands and set it down as well, then cupped his face in her hands and turned him towards her. "Remus Lupin, you look at me," she said firmly, her bright eyes boring into his weary ones. "I would _never_ treat this cavalierly. I took an oath, as an Auror, to fight darkness, and I will always do so. I've done it overtly for my country. I've done it covertly for people that couldn't fight for themselves. Even if all I can do is eliminate the darkness in this house, I will do that. I will fight, I promise."

She dropped her hands from his face and scooted back to her end of the sofa, watching him. He stared at her wide-eyed for a moment before finding his voice again. "I'm sorry I hurt you," he murmured.

"I know," she replied, handing him back his tea cup and reclaiming her sandwich. "Are we good?" she mumbled around a bite.

Remus nodded, still a little flustered by her intensity. "Yeah, we're good," he said. "Umm, what are you eating?" he asked after a moment, looking askance at the brown goo oozing from the side of the bread.

"A peanut butter and jelly sandwich. There was raspberry jam on sale. It's my favorite."

"That looks absolutely revolting."

"Hey!" she laughed, pointing her finger at him. "You are not allowed to judge me, you Marmite eater."

Remus chuckled. "All right, all right. I call pax. Good?"

"Good. So…this is the last room to redo," she said, popping the last bite in her mouth and lifting up her steaming cup.

"What do you have in mind?" Remus asked curiously, as he settled at his end of the sofa.

"Well, what's the one place you and Sirius felt most at home in the world?"

"Hogwarts," Remus instantly replied. "In Gryffindor Tower there's a house common room where we would all study and hang out together. I think there's a picture somewhere," he added as he got up from the couch and set his cup down on a table. He rummaged through the desk for a moment until he pulled out a tattered photo album.

Returning to the sofa, he took the seat next to her and opened the album on his lap. He turned to the first picture, where four teenaged boys were waving and hamming it up for the camera, shoving at each other and making faces. Artemis smiled. "Remus and Sirius," she said happily, tapping each of their smiling faces. "And this must be Harry's dad. What an uncanny resemblance. And the other boy?"

Remus' face was suddenly devoid of expression. "That's Peter. He's the one who betrayed James and his wife, Lily, to Voldemort and set up Sirius to take the blame. He's…he's the reason…one of the reasons," he amended, "I have trouble…"

"Letting people in?" Artemis asked softly.

Remus nodded resignedly.

"Why do you think he did it?" she asked, almost in a whisper.

"I've been trying to work that out. This may sound convoluted, but I think it was because of our friendship, the four of us, or rather the different parts of the whole. James and Sirius were best friends, and so similar. They were arrogant, obnoxious sometimes, but in the way that very confident and lighthearted people can be, unaware of tensions or others' emotions. I was resigned to what I felt was my lot in life and just the opportunity to go to school like a regular bloke was thrilling. And then these two boys were happy to include me in their antics. When we were twelve they figured out I was a werewolf, and they still insisted they wanted to be friends. I was so afraid they would think me a monster. And James told me he was so sorry, but he couldn't be properly afraid of someone who folded his socks." Remus chuckled at the memory. "I could see what they were like, sometimes thoughtless and reckless, but I was so grateful to have any friends at all that I closed my eyes to the chaos that trailed behind them. And Peter…I'm still not sure I fully understand. He was our friend, truly. He was kind and soft spoken, very observant – always picked up the small details about people that others missed. I think deep down he was insecure and desperate for others to like him. If he'd had a little bit stronger personality maybe things could have been different, but he was just sort of swept up into their gang like I was. And we really were all best friends. James and Sirius included him as much as they did me, but the two of them together were complete in their own way. Almost two halves of a whole. To me it made sense and was no more than I expected or deserved given my condition, but I wonder if maybe Peter was never satisfied with what seemed to be a lower rung of the friendship. Eventually I assume that just gave way to jealousy and bitterness, leading him to hurt us all in the most brutal way imaginable."

Artemis nodded. "I…I'm so sorry that happened to all of you, but I'm glad you and Sirius still have each other."

Remus suddenly huffed a wry laugh. "Sirius Black is…something else. He spent a year thinking I was a spy for Voldemort. I actually spent twelve years thinking he had turned on his best friend, murdered our other friend and wondering if he would have set me up to take the fall if he hadn't been arrested. I spent twelve years hating him for choosing to support the evil that had taken every good thing away from me. And then in just a few moments it was like a veil had been lifted from my eyes, and I could see how much we'd both lost."

His voice trailed off and Artemis nodded in understanding. "My friend Renarde says the truth sets you free."

Remus cleared his throat and flipped to the next photo. Sirius and a young girl were dressed up and clearly on their way to a formal dance. Sirius was leaning in and kissing the girl's cheek in the photo and she was laughing.

"Marlene McKinnon," Remus said. "She was killed by Death Eaters just a few years after this. Sirius was so head over heels in love with her."

The third photo was the one he had been remembering. It was a picture of himself, curled up reading a book in front of the fire in the common room. The fire danced in the picture and the young Remus looked up to smile ruefully at whoever was taking the picture and make a slight move to cover what was then a new wound across his cheek. The present day Remus absently rubbed his hand over that same scar as he pointed out the overall look of the room in the photo.

"This is perfect, thanks," said Artemis. "Could I keep this one as a model for the room?" Remus slid the photo from its page and handed it to her. She set it down on the coffee table and settled back into the couch cushions, taking a long sip of her tea. Remus settled back beside her, watching the dancing flames of the fire and thinking back to his school days. After a few moments of silence, Artemis looked over at Remus intently. "When were you bit?" she asked.

He seemed surprised, but not unduly upset by the question. "I was just a child. My parents dealt with it on their own for several years before I went off to school. We had to move around quite a bit to keep people from finding out. I wasn't even sure I would be allowed to go to Hogwarts. Dumbledore interceded on my behalf so I could attend. He had a special place designed where I could be locked up during the changes so I wouldn't harm anyone. Sirius and James and Peter secretly spent almost three years trying to become animagi so they could spend the time with me." He smiled softly as he remembered his friends.

"And that's where your nicknames come from, right? You call Sirius Padfoot, but sometimes Harry calls him Snuffles, and he's a dog. And you're Moony for obvious reasons. What about the others?"

"Harry's dad, James, was a stag. We called him Prongs. Peter was a rat. I can't decide if that's true irony or not. We called him Wormtail. It helped so much to have them there. The wolf was calmer. I don't know how my parents handled it when I was young. I remember having to be locked in a room, and being scared each time it happened, and then I remember my mother holding me as a I woke up." He paused, with a faraway look on his face. "I knew it was hard for them, but I guess I never really thought before what it must have been like for her."

Artemis frowned. "I know what it was like," she murmured, so softly Remus barely heard her. "She locked you in there because she knew there was no other choice. And then she spent the night outside the door crying and screaming for you to remember her…to remember that you're not a monster."

Remus let out a deep sigh at the description. His heart clenched in his chest, not just for his mother, but also for the woman in front of him, who had clearly experienced the same thing. "Who was it?" he finally asked.

Artemis knew what he meant. "My brother," she finally answered. "He was older than you were, already out of school and working for MCUSA. The United States is very strict on werewolf…management. I know full well you still deal with prejudice here, but over there people are forced to live on reserved pieces of land with magical wards in place to contain them. So we…hid him. Each month he would take the Wolfsbane potion and lock himself in his room. I went to work for MCUSA to help manage the times he transformed. I became arrogant. We'd handled it so well for two years." Her words started to come faster, as if she had to release them all before she lost her nerve.

"I was so sure he was perfectly harmless with the potion. So I started letting him out. I'd disapparate us to somewhere remote where we could run around and chase deer and just be free. I was already an animagus, so I thought I could handle him. One time he was just prepared to take off after a deer when I heard the pop of someone apparating nearby. I chased after him, but it was too late. He lunged for the deer, but she was there between them. He had no way to stop. She was dead almost instantly."

Her eyes welled up with tears, and Remus instinctively moved closer to her. He gently took the cup and saucer from her trembling hands and set them down. Artemis clasped her hands together in an effort to stop the shaking. "He went crazy," she continued in a whisper. "He was so mad with grief and rage that he started biting and clawing himself to pieces. I tried to stop him, and that's when I got these," she said, gesturing to her face. "When he saw what happened to me he finally settled down, and then he laid by her body and howled and howled. I stayed with him there the rest of the night until he changed back. Then we disapparated back home."

"What…what happened with the woman who died?" Remus asked tentatively.

Artemis turned a stricken face to him. "It was our sister. She wasn't supposed to come. I told her it wasn't safe, but she followed us anyway. We took her back home and Apollo locked himself in his room. Our family…we covered the whole thing up. We buried Ingrid quietly and said she'd suddenly died of dragon pox. And Apollo, he never left the house again. Before the next full moon he had killed himself. And no one else knows. MCUSA has him listed as missing presumed dead. I…quit my job and did free-lance work for a while…ummm…security stuff, you know? You don't always work with very nice people, but I was so angry. That sort of helped me work out some of my anger at the situation. Nothing like beating up on some people to get out your aggressions," she added in a harsh sarcastic voice. "Then a year ago I went back to work for MCUSA, but it hasn't actually been going that well. Lots of people don't trust me because they think I know more about Apollo's disappearance than I said. Which is true. And they think I'm a firebrand for speaking out against werewolf treatment. I was pretty much assigned to the UK to get me out of the way for a while. Merlin, my life has been such a mess! I was so happy teaching," she said sadly, tears again falling silently from under her dark lashes. "Sometimes I wish I'd never agreed to help him. But what else could I do?" Artemis fell silent as she tried to get her tears under control.

Remus breathed out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. His heart broke for the woman beside him and her family. And he was selfishly intensely grateful that nothing horrific had happened while he was transformed. When he thought of all the months before he'd had the Wolfsbane Potion, when the Mauraders had run wild through the Forbidden Forest…he shuddered at the idea that he could have easily killed someone at any time. He was flooded with guilt and love at what his friends had done for him. The same thing Artemis had tried to do for her brother, but her situation had simply gone horribly wrong.

Remus began speaking softly. "I know what it is like to lose the people closest to you even when you're trying to do the right thing. And I know how feelings of love and guilt and anger can be all swirled up together when you experience a tragedy. And I know how it feels to have people in positions of power over you not trust you, whether the mistrust is deserved or not. And I know what it is to carry a secret alone."

He sighed and reached for Artemis' still trembling hand. They sat in silence staring at the fire for a long time. Only when her hand relaxed its grip on his did he look over and see she had fallen asleep. Her tear-stained cheeks and messy hair made her seem very young. Remus stood up, stretching out his stiff muscles then turned to gently ease Artemis down on the couch. He covered her with a blanket and collected the cups and saucers, turning the lights down low as he quietly left the room.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 ~ October, 1995

Sirius spent a couple hours sketching in the soft early morning light. It hadn't gone as he'd hoped and left him hungry and ill-tempered. He went into the kitchen and was surprised no one else had made an appearance yet. He filled the kettle and opened the fridge, staring at the contents. He hadn't the faintest idea how to go about starting breakfast. Thankfully a plate of leftover muffins caught his eye.

"A couple of pussy-whipped dogs, that's what we are," he grumbled as he set the muffins on the table and went ahead and laid out cups, napkins and silverware.

"What was that?" Remus frowned at him from the doorway.

Sirius at least had the good manners to looked abashed, even though his voice remained sullen. "Where's the wildcat? I don't have the faintest idea how to do any of this," he gestured toward the stove, his sweeping arm nearly knocking a cup off the table.

"She had a rough evening," Remus yawned, scratching at the rough stubble over his jaw. "She's probably still asleep on the couch. I'll scramble some eggs." He pulled a pan down from the overhead pot rack and took a carton of eggs from the fridge. "Do you want cheese in them?" he asked, turning around, but Sirius was no longer there.

Sirius stood in the drawing room doorway, watching the sleeping witch. She was frowning in her sleep, dark circles shadowed her eyes. He noticed the photo album and loose picture still on the coffee table. He picked up the album, slouched down onto the other sofa, and began slowly turning the pages. Sirius hadn't looked at the book in fifteen years. He stopped at the picture of him and Marlene, watching the sweet moment in time over and over again. That was the night he'd finally told her he loved her. His eyes unexpectedly filled with tears, but his heart no longer ached from the pain of losing so much. His head jerked up at the sound of stirring on the couch. Artemis was slowly sitting up, holding her hand over her eyes like she had a headache.

"Hey, Kitten," he said softly, not wanting to startle her.

Artemis peered at him through red rimmed eyes. "Hey, Sirius," she smiled. "You got any headache potion?"

"Sure thing. You want breakfast? Moony's cooking eggs…well, trying to…hopefully."

Artemis started to shake her head and then stopped, wincing. "No thanks, just the headache potion. I'm sure I'll feel better after that and a shower." She stood slowly pausing to pick up the loose photo from the table, and made her way out the door and down the stairs to the kitchen. Sirius followed her, pausing in the doorway of the kitchen. He leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms and watching curiously as she walked up to Remus.

Remus turned as she came in and smiled gently at her. "All right?" he asked in a soft, low voice.

Artemis came up close to him and placed her hand on his arm. "Thank you," she said, trying to convey all her emotion and gratitude in her eyes and voice. "Would you tell Sirius…what we talked about?"

Remus nodded, his face tender, as he hesitantly reached up to push a piece of hair out of her face, then abruptly stopped and dropped his hand. Artemis pretended not to notice.

"I think I'll take a hot bath and a nap. I'll see you both around lunchtime," she said, her voice overly bright. She turned and walked toward the door. Sirius stepped back into the hall to let her out, and followed her upstairs. He grabbed a vial of headache potion from the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and handed it to her.

"Feel better, Kitten," he said with a crooked smile.

Artemis nodded, looking down at the floor. She didn't trust herself to meet his eyes. She felt him stay a moment longer, then he turned and trudged back down the stairs. She slowly closed the bathroom door and turned to start a steaming bath.

When Sirius entered the kitchen again Remus was dishing out the eggs. Sirius cleared his throat as he sat at the table. Remus raised his eyebrows expectantly, taking his own seat.

"So I can rightly assume that you and she have resolved your differences? Sorry about grumbling earlier, Moony. She's clearly having a rough time of it."

Remus' soft blue eyes widened in disbelief. "Sirius Black apologizing unasked. Bravo, Padfoot. You may have grown up after all."

Sirius unwillingly huffed out a short laugh, and then covered it with a glare. "What's going on? That girl looks like hell."

Remus sighed, and proceeded to relay to Sirius everything he had heard the previous night. Sirius sat silently eating his breakfast through the retelling, watching Remus intently, only frowning when he got to the part about her sister. Remus might have left out that he held her hand until she fell asleep, but Padfoot didn't need to know that.

"Bloody hell," Sirius finally muttered as Remus finished. "Well, you were the one who was skeptical of her. What do you think? Is she telling the truth?"

Remus thought for a moment. "I'd swear the emotion was genuine," he said slowly. "We already know she's been clawed by a werewolf at some point and she has a cloak that was owned by one. We could ask Dumbledore to check on the rest. It should be fairly easy to find out if her sister died suddenly around the time her brother disappeared. And he might know if she was censored or rebuked for speaking out against the treatment of werewolves with MCUSA."

Sirius nodded, as he rose from the table. "You can check with him. I'm not sure it matters though," he added with a smirk.

"What do you mean?" asked Remus, as he finally started in on his own breakfast.

"You fancy her, mate. You've already decided to trust her."

"That's…that's nonsense," Remus spluttered. "What makes you think I fancy her?"

Sirius gave him a condescending smile. "The first time you saw her dueling in the kitchen and told me about it you accused me of getting too attached. You never would have said that if you weren't already attracted to her."

Remus stared at him, dumbfounded. "What?"

"Look, mate, that was how you started every crush you ever had in school. Some bird caught your eye and you were instantly convinced I was interested in her. Made it dead easy to set you up," he finished with a grin.

"Sirius I don't…well…I mean…that's not the point…I can be objective…I don't…"

"And now you can't form a complete sentence. Classic! I decided to trust her months ago when I realized she stayed awake and baked chocolate muffins on the nights you transformed. She worries about you, that's good enough for me." And with that he sauntered out of the kitchen, leaving Remus staring after him.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 ~ November, 1995

Remus yawned and shuffled down the stairs. He wasn't typically what you would call a morning person, but it had recently become his favorite time of day. When he spent more than a moment pondering that fact it made him very, very uneasy. Yet he couldn't seem to help it. The sun would barely begin to peek over the horizon and he was wide awake. He might have blamed it on her music, but he couldn't actually hear it in his room. He might have blamed it on the scent of baking, but he didn't want to. The best moment of his day was entering that kitchen for the first time and seeing Artemis rumpled and sleepy, pulling something delectable out of the oven. Thankfully this morning he was too tired to ponder the situation, mostly because his bones were already beginning to ache in anticipation of tonight's full moon.

"Morning, sunshine!" Artemis greeted him cheerfully.

"Good morning. Do you need help with anything?"

His voice was deeper and slightly raspy first thing in the morning, and Artemis felt a slight flutter in her stomach at the sound. "No, not a bit. Tea's on the table. Pancakes coming up."

Remus leafed through the new _Daily Prophet_ as he sipped his tea and took surreptitious glances at Artemis flipping pancakes.

"So what's your preference for breakfast tomorrow? Prime rib? Steak Tartar? Mahi Mahi? Sushi?" she asked over her shoulder.

Remus chuckled lightly. "Hmmmm. I think Prime Rib. That seems to work the fastest."

"Sounds good. I need you back in tip top shape asap."

She turned to him, and Remus raised his eyebrows. "Umm…right. Why is that?"

And the witch who could kill someone a dozen different ways and make it look like an accident blushed. "I need you to help keep Sirius in line when we go Christmas shopping," she finished in a slightly scolding tone, and turned back to the stove.

Remus smiled and looked back to his newspaper. And through the salty tang of the bacon sizzling in the pan, and the sweet syrup waiting to drench the pancakes, the hint of her shampoo and the ink on the newspaper, the wolf thought he scented a faintly different swirl of pheromones in the air.

* * *

Severus came by later that day with the Wolfsbane Potion. Remus was half-heartedly trying to mediate the exchange of curt and sneering insults between him and Sirius.

Artemis rolled her eyes. She could hear the arguing out in the hallway. Every month was the same. "Must we always fight, boys?" she asked dryly, as she came in the room.

"Severus was dropping off my potion," offered Remus.

"And the charming git was just on his way out," added Sirius angrily.

Artemis rubbed his shoulder. "Good grief. You go through this every month. Would it kill you to just be polite, Sirius? Remus manages it."

Snape turned toward the front door, then hesitated and turned back towards Artemis. "I will be restocking potion ingredients from a shop in Diagon Alley this afternoon," he said in his slow, precise voice. "Is there anything you perhaps require?" He inclined his head slightly towards Artemis.

"Oh! I've never been to Diagon Alley. Could I come with you?" she asked excitedly. All three men stared at her with wide eyes. Well, Sirius and Remus were wide-eyed. Severus' eyes might have glittered in a slight surprise, but the hint of expression vanished a moment later.

"Um, Artemis…" began Remus slowly.

Sirius was less polite. "You can't honestly want to tour Diagon Alley your first time with a lousy Death Eater?!" he burst out.

Artemis looked at him, shocked. "He's a double agent. Dumbledore told me. Surely he wouldn't trust Severus without good reason? Dumbledore trusts both of you, and lots of other people wouldn't," she adding in a scolding voice.

Severus actually looked a little surprised at being defended, but quickly masked it.

Remus unreasonably felt more annoyed by the fact that she was going out with Severus than the comment about his reliability. Sirius was utterly livid. "Remus has never done anything untrustworthy in his life! He doesn't deserve how this slimy, sneaky…" He was too angry to continue, and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"I think I'm allergic to dogs," Artemis muttered under her breath, missing the hurt flash across Remus' face. I'll be back in a second," said Artemis. "I just need to grab a jacket."

Artemis dashed upstairs to grab a coat and money. She paused in the bathroom to turn her hair red and change the star tattoos to a twisting vine, then ran back down the stairs.

Sirius was standing on the upstairs landing staring at her as she raced down. She paused at the shocked look on his face. "Are you angry with me? I just think you both act pretty childish towards each other considering the circumstances."

"I'm not mad at you, Kitten," Sirius sighed. "But you can't…just…don't go with him as a red-head…please."

Artemis stared at him expectantly for a moment, but no other explanation was forthcoming.

She nodded and pointed her wand at her head, changing the red hair to a dark blonde. She turned back to Sirius, who was still watching her from the studio doorway. She touched him lightly on the arm, "I'll bring you back a dog biscuit, Padfoot" she said playfully.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I prefer Licorice Wands. And bring chocolates for Moony," he added, as she ducked around him again to head down.

Severus was waiting impatiently by the front door. Remus was standing calmly at the foot of the stairs. Only the clenched jaw gave away how he was feeling.

"Remus…" Artemis began, but he wouldn't meet her eyes. She sighed and joined Snape by the door. "I'll see you later I guess." And the door closed behind them with a creak.

Remus stood slowly and made his way to the kitchen. He took a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water. Sirius came him behind him and watched him concernedly, the way his jaw was clenched and his hand shook. Remus growled and tightened his grip on the glass, only to have it shatter over the sink.

"Get it together, Moony," Sirius cautioned from the doorway. "You're not really angry. You're hurt and jealous."

"Why would she do that!?" Remus burst out. "She was just saying this morning how we were going Christmas shopping together, and then she says she's allergic to dogs and flounces off with Snape? What the hell?!"

Sirius tried unsuccessfully to hide his smile, thankful Remus wasn't looking at him at the moment. "Really? Flounces? Listen, mate, let's try to be rational about this. She only made the crack about the dogs because she's annoyed by the arguing. Besides, you're not really a dog, I am. If it weren't the day of the full moon you would probably find it funny…maybe…a little bit at least. And you know she can't really be seen with us in Diagon Alley. We can go Christmas shopping in Muggle stores. That'll be a laugh, right?"

Remus growled something unintelligible and stormed out of the room. Upstairs in his room he quickly downed the bottle of the vile tasting Wolfsbane potion and lay back on his bed. Body aching and head swirling, he thought for a moment he might be sick. He closed his eyes and tried to will away the nausea until he felt more calm.

* * *

Artemis meanwhile was completely enchanted with Diagon Alley. It was centuries older than any wizarding community in America, and Artemis adored the funny crooked buildings. He'd never admit it, but Severus was enjoying her enthusiastic commentary as they walked. She willingly tagged along to the apothecary so he could drop off his order, pulling her cloak tight around her against the bitter wind. By the time they arrived at the shop Artemis was rather windblown, wispy strands of golden hair flying about her face. The owner was working on something in a cauldron near the back counter, and Artemis peered at it interestedly, Severus handed the owner a list of the things he required and said he'd be back in an hour to pick it up.

"Huh," said Artemis, sniffing at the bubbling cauldron. "What potion is this? It smells like cinnamon and clean laundry…and some kind of meat. That's weird."

Severus glanced into the cauldron and made a face. "That's Amortentia. It's a love potion that smells different to each person."

"Oh, I remember that from school. I wasn't very good with potions. You'd think since I like cooking, it would be easy, but potions have to be so precise! Cooking's more fun. You can experiment and if something's not exactly measured it usually doesn't make a huge difference. What does Amortentia smell like to you?"

Severus shot her a look, trying to see if she was teasing him, but Artemis was studying a jar of dragon scales. "I haven't smelled it in a long time. I don't remember."

"Try it now," she said, waving toward the cauldron, now looking at a box of wriggling maggots with a wrinkled nose.

Severus sighed and reluctantly moved over to the cauldron. He took a cautious sniff, already steeling himself against the onslaught of memories and regrets.

"Well?" came the happy voice. Artemis was watching him, waiting.

Severus cleared his throat. "I smell the trifle they serve at Hogwarts, old books, and strawberries."

Artemis smiled. "Those sound lovely. What's trifle?"

"A dessert. Layers of cake, fruit and custard. Do you want to go to the bookstore next?"

Severus spent the next hour trailing Artemis from shop to shop. He didn't mind Scribbulus Writing Instruments where Artemis bought journals and quills that took dictation. He warned her against choosing the Quick Quotes brand and she told him MCUSA was currently considering a lawsuit against the company due to all the charges of libel brought against wizards who used them. He didn't mind Sugarplum's Sweets that had the Licorice Wands and chocolates Artemis stocked up on to hopefully pacify Sirius and Remus today as well as fill their Christmas stockings. And he didn't mind Twilfitt and Tattings. She was appalled by the prices, but Artemis was unable to walk away from the delicious fabrics, and chose several lusciously soft sweaters. He did draw the line at simpering over the kittens at the Magical Menagerie, and informed Artemis in a sharp voice that he would meet her at Flourish and Blotts before they returned to the apothecary.

Finally, laden down with purchases, Severus prepared to return Artemis to Twelve Grimmauld Place. She was carrying so many bags and boxes that she caught the edge of the front door, stumbled forward and landed flat on her face. Severus moved to help her up, only to be stopped by a glowering Remus.

"You can go now," he growled in a low voice.

Severus glared back at him. "Let's hope you are capable of being better mannered when you need me next month, Lupin," he hissed.

Artemis clambered to her feet. "Good grief. Put the wands away, gentlemen."

They both shot a puzzled frown at her, quickly patting their pockets to ensure their wands were actually where they were supposed to be. Artemis rolled her eyes. "It's a euphemism. Severus, thank you for taking me shopping. I had a lot of fun. Diagon Alley is great."

Severus acknowledged the thanks with a curt nod and strode out the door, slamming it behind him.

Artemis pulled a small bag from her pile and shoved it at Remus. "Have some chocolate. Maybe you'll feel better. You don't usually act so grumpy before a full moon. What gives? And why do men like slamming doors so much?" Then not waiting for an answer, she gathered up the rest of her purchases and hiked up the stairs to her room.

Remus held the bag of chocolate and sank gloomily into the stairs. "I was actually waiting for you to come home so I could apologize?" he said to the empty hallway.

* * *

" _Engorgio."_ Sirius enlarged the mirror and set it up against one wall of the room.

"What are you doing, Pads?" asked Remus tiredly.

"This will make you feel better, I promise." Sirius answered, before changing into his dog form and curling up on a cushion. He then closed his eyes and covered his face with his paws as he heard the familiar cracking of bones and screams as Remus transformed. He hated that part. Hated, hated, hated it.

The werewolf, panting lightly from the pain of the transformation, lay down facing the mirror. Moments later Artemis entered the kitchen and began the now familiar routine of moving the furniture and setting up the dueling dummy. Remus whined and turned away from the mirror, glaring at Sirius. How was this supposed to help? Sirius padded over and pushed at Remus' head. Remus resignedly turned back to the mirror and continued watching her.

When she finished the training he was surprised that this time she didn't pull out the bottle of firewhiskey. She fired off a shower of pink bubbles and calmly put the kitchen back together; the rock music changing to something bluesy. He watched her go precisely through the steps of making tea, and while it steeped she donned an apron and pulled her hair into a messy pile on top of her head, skewering her wand through it. Then she waved away the last of the pink bubbles and began to pull ingredients out of cupboards and cabinets and set up her baking tools. Remus peered at the items on the counter. She was making chocolate muffins, the Muggle way. He loved her chocolate muffins. He looked over at Sirius. If it was possible for a dog to be laughing at someone, Padfoot was certainly laughing at him now. He'd been right. She never went to sleep. She baked muffins and cinnamon rolls and biscuits. She'd hum or sing along to the old songs. Then she made more tea and sat at the table a long while doing some kind of needlepoint. It was almost unbearably homey, and Remus had the craziest thought that he wouldn't even mind being a werewolf if it meant he could curl up on a cushion in that room and soak in the atmosphere she created.

The next morning Remus felt as sore and tired as he ever did after a full moon, but he also felt something else… the tiniest glimmer of hope, which kind of terrified him. As he and Sirius entered the kitchen he inhaled the now customary scent of cinnamon and steak. "I never thought I'd look forward to smelling cinnamon and steak together, but I do," Remus smiled gratefully at Artemis as he took his seat at the table.

She laughed. "Who would have thought those two flavors could go together?" Suddenly an idea seemed to occur to her because she went very pale and then very flushed. "Cinnamon and steak," she whispered, and turned quickly back to the stove.

Puzzled, Remus reached for his cup of tea and turned to see if Sirius knew what had happened, but he was leaning back in his chair, half asleep. As Artemis placed their plates in front of them and took her own seat, Remus cleared his throat and said, "I intended to say this yesterday, but I wanted to apologize for how I acted with Severus. I'm usually better able to control my emotions than that."

Artemis shook her head, not quite able to make eye contact. "Thank you. I appreciate the apology. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have made the crack about being allergic to dogs."

They both jumped and then laughed when Sirius woke himself up with a little snore and fell out of his chair. Remus wasn't sure what had made her react oddly earlier, but by the end of the meal things seemed back to normal and the three were making plans to do some Christmas shopping in the Muggle parts of London.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 ~ December, 1995

After spending several hours working on a manuscript, Remus made his way down to the kitchen feeling a bit peckish. Artemis was cutting out sugar cookies in the shape of snowflakes, soft Christmas carols playing on the radio. "I was just looking for something to eat," he said apologetically. "I don't want to interrupt."

"No, this is my last batch. I'm ready for a break," Artemis replied, sliding the last pan in the oven. She assembled the tea things and set out half a loaf of gingerbread. She pulled her wand out of the pocket in her apron and pointed it at a large bread knife, which went to work slicing the gingerbread, then she tapped the tea kettle, pouring the water over the tea leaves after it whistled.

The pair talked over Christmas presents, making sure they'd covered everyone; discussed whether they should go to the Weasleys or if that family would come here; what about Hermione, and should they try to include her parents? The conversation flowed lightly and easily, and after a while Remus decided to go ahead and ask the question he'd been chewing over for the last few weeks. "Why do you touch Sirius so often?" he said deliberately. Artemis met his eyes in surprise, and he hurried to explain. "I mean, you pat his arm when you're talking to him, rub his back when you hand him a plate, um…hold his hand when he starts to get agitated, even just bump into him when you walk in a room. Why?"

Artemis looked concerned and shifted her gaze to stare at the fire. "He was locked up alone for twelve years. People…all mammals really…don't do well without touch. There's even some No-Maj scientific studies on it. I just thought…it might help him."

Remus nodded slowly as he thought about her words. "I see. That's very…kind of you. And I think it is helping…Thank you."

Artemis smiled a little and stood to place her cup and saucer in the sink. She pulled the pan from the oven and set it off to the side to cool. Then turned to leave the room.

"I thought perhaps…" Remus blurted out. She paused in the doorway as she was leaving and looked back to meet Remus' gaze. "…it was because you were…attracted to him."

Artemis raised her eyebrows. "I was trying to…help him heal a little…that's all." He was watching her, perplexed by the look in her eyes. "I would have done it to you too," she added hesitantly, "but…after getting to know you I was afraid it would have the opposite effect."

He frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

She screwed up her face, trying to find the right way to say it. "You didn't really trust me. So you were…looking for things to analyze about me. If I had treated you the way I treat Sirius you would have assumed I was faking it for some reason and pulled away even more." She took a deep breath and decided to keep going. "Also deep down you think it makes sense that people would be more…affectionate with Sirius than with you. You're wrong about that, by the way. You assume your scars and condition make people avoid you, but in reality you're the one avoiding them. You are fully as deserving of care and affection as Sirius." Artemis gave him a rather sad small smile and left the room.

Remus scowled down at the scrubbed tabletop, suddenly aggravated with her. It wasn't that he disagreed. She was absolutely right. He would have kept his distance if she'd used that method on him, although he did trust her now…as well as he trusted anybody. No, he was irritated that even though he knew she was right, he was…envious of how easily she interacted with Sirius. And he was angry and a little scared at how she'd managed to poke right at that tender wound in his psyche. That wound that never quite healed, no matter how many years passed; the voice that told him when people found out what he really was they would leave, so it was safer to not get too close. For a few years that voice was muzzled, thanks to the Marauders. But even they had all abandoned him. And he knew Sirius regretted it, but…it was just easier to keep to himself. He was dangerous after all, registered with the Ministry as a Dark Creature. And now this raven-haired witch with her stupid job that landed her in the middle of a war, her stupid observant eyes with those long dark lashes, and her stupid chocolate muffins, and her stupid understanding of werewolves made him long for more. And that longing was quickly becoming a more painful ache than the old one. Remus flung his teacup into the fireplace with a growl of frustration, taking a little satisfaction in the sound of shattering pottery.

* * *

"Sirius Black!" yelled the portrait from the bedroom down the hall. "Guess who's coming to dinner?! Sirius Black! They're baaack! Sirius Black!"

"What in the name of Godric are you on about, you ridiculous troll?!" shouted Sirius, banging open the door of the room.

"Wha…what?! Deplorable manners! That's what comes of associating with Mudbloods and beasts," sputtered the portrait of his great-great-great grandfather. "Here I am, sent about like an owl carrying messages to and from the school and you can't be bothered to address me politely! I do not like being shouted at!"

Sirius took a deep breath and promised himself that one day he'd paint right over the man. "You were shouting first. What's the message?"

The portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black glared at him. "Company's coming," he stated curtly, "Arthur Weasley has been injured and that pack of blood-traitor gingers is coming here." The he vanished out of the frame.

"Umm, right then…brilliant."

Sirius arrived in the kitchen as Harry, Ron, Ginny and the twins landed in a heap. Remus stood suddenly from the rocking chair where he'd been reading by the fire, and Artemis froze in the middle of her kneading, dusted in flour. "What's going on?" Sirius asked grimly. "Phineas Nigellus said Arthur's been injured."

"Ask Harry," said Fred.

"Yeah, I want to hear this for myself," said George.

Everyone was staring at Harry. "It was…I had a…kind of …vision," he stammered. He slowly told them what he had seen; Arthur standing in a dark room, a large snake approaching suddenly and attacking.

Artemis glanced at the children, all but Ron looking faintly accusingly at Harry.

"Is Mum here?" asked Fred, turning to Sirius.

Sirius shook his head. "She may not even know what's happened yet," said Sirius. "The most important thing was to get you away before Umbridge could interfere. I expect Dumbledore's letting Molly know now."

"We have to get to St. Mungo's," said Ginny urgently. She looked around at her brothers. They were of course still in their pajamas. "Sirius, can you lend us cloaks or anything?"

"Wait," interrupted Remus. "You can't go to St. Mungo's."

"'Course we can go to St. Mungo's if we want," said Fred with a mulish expression, "he's our dad!"

"And how exactly are you going to explain that you knew he was attacked before the hospital even let his wife know?" Remus said in a low, patient voice.

"What does that matter?" asked George hotly.

"It matters because we don't want to draw attention to the fact that Harry is having visions of things that are happening hundreds of miles away!" said Sirius angrily. "Have you any idea what the Ministry would make of that information?"

Artemis dusted off her floured hands on her apron and moved toward Sirius, resting her hand unobtrusively on his arm. Fred and George looked as though they could not care less what the Ministry made of anything. Ron was standing there white-faced and silent. Ginny finally offered, "Someone else could have told us…We could have heard it somewhere other than Harry…"

"Like who?" said Sirius impatiently. "Listen, your dad's been hurt while on duty for the Order and the circumstances are probably fishy enough without his children knowing about it seconds after it happened. You could seriously damage the Order's…"

"We don't care about the dumb Order!" shouted Fred.

"It's out dad dying we're talking about!" yelled George.

"Your father knew what he was getting into, and he won't thank you for messing things up for the Order!" Sirius yelled back.

Artemis, now holding Sirius' hand tightly, threw Remus a panicked look. "I know it's hard to understand," Remus finally interjected, "but there are some things worth dying for."

"Easy for you lot to say, stuck here!" bellowed Fred. "I don't see you risking your neck!"

Remus frowned, and the little color remaining in Sirius' face drained from it. He and Remus hadn't been allowed to take shifts guarding the prophecy in the Department of Mysteries. Only Moody, Tonks, Arthur and Kingsley had – those who had legitimate reasons for being at the Ministry anyway.

"I know it's hard," Artemis said softly, through clenched teeth, "but we've all got to act as though we don't know anything yet. We've got to stay put, at least until we hear from your mother, all right?"

Fred and George still looked mutinous, but Ginny took a few steps to the nearest chair and sat down. Harry looked at Ron, who made a funny movement between a nod and a shrug, and they sat too. The twins glared at the adults for another minute and then took seats on either side of Ginny.

Remus immediately turned to the stove and began making hot chocolate. Artemis carried a plate loaded up with buns and biscuits over to the kids.

Sirius sat heavily in one of the chairs, his fingers tapping nervously. Artemis glanced at him and leaned over to whisper something to Remus. He frowned at her, but nodded. Sirius looked up as Remus placed a mug of hot chocolate in front of him and poured a dollop of tequila in it. "Just one," Remus warned him.

"If you're offering…" said George, holding up his own mug.

"We wouldn't mind imbibing," finished Fred.

"And risk the wrath of Molly? No thank you," stated Remus, returning the bottle to the cupboard.

They sipped the chocolate and ate the food in silence, no one really looking at each other. Then a burst of fire in midair illuminated the mugs in front of them as as they gave cries of shock, a scroll of parchment fell with a thud onto the table, accompanied by a single golden phoenix tail feather.

"Fawkes!" said Sirius at once, snatching up the parchment. "That's not Dumbledore's writing, it must be a message from your mum, look…" He thrust the letter into George's hand, who ripped it open and read aloud, " _Dad is still alive. I am setting out for St. Mungo's now. Stay where you are. I will send news as soon as I can. Mum."_

"Still alive…" said George slowly, looking around the table. "But that makes it sound…"

He did not need to finish the sentence. It sounded to everyone as though Arthur were hovering somewhere between life and death. Fred pulled the parchment out of George's hand and read it for himself, then looked up at Harry, who clutched his hot chocolate mug tightly to stop his hand trembling.

It was a very long night. At one point Remus suggested they all go to bed, but the Weasleys' disgusted looks were the only response. They mostly sat in silence around the table, occasionally raising mugs to their lips, speaking only to inquire what the time was and wonder aloud what might be happening.

Fred fell into a doze, his head sagging sideways onto his shoulder. Ginny was curled up like a cat in her chair, but her eyes were open. Ron was sitting with his head in his hands, whether awake or asleep was impossible to tell. Artemis moved around them all quietly, finishing up her baking and cleaning the kitchen. Sirius sat staring into the fire, and Remus picked up his book, but didn't actually look to the open page, watching everyone out of the corner of his eye instead.

Then at ten past five in the morning the kitchen door swung open and Mrs. Weasley entered the kitchen. She was extremely pale, but when they all turned to look at her, Remus and Sirius rising from their chairs, she gave them a wan smile.

"He's going to be all right," she said, her voice weak with tiredness. "He's sleeping. We can all go see him later. Bill's sitting with him now, he's going to take the morning off work."

Fred covered his face with his hands. George and Ginny got up, walked swiftly over to their mother, and hugged her. Ron gave a very shaky laugh and downed his now cold chocolate in one.

"How about some breakfast?" suggested Artemis. Harry hurried over to help. He'd barely taken some plates from the cupboard when Mrs. Weasley lifted them out of his hands and pulled him into a hug.

"I don't know what would have happened if it hadn't been for you, Harry," she said in a muffled voice. "They might not have found Arthur for hours, and then it would have been too late, but thanks to you he's alive, and Dumbledore's been able to think up a good cover story for Arthur being where he was, you've no idea what trouble he would have been in otherwise…" She then turned to the other adults, thanking them for taking care of her children through the night.

"We're happy to help Molly," said Sirius gently. "And of course you all must stay here while he's in the hospital."

"Oh Sirius, I'm so grateful…They think he'll be there a little while and it would be wonderful to be nearer. Of course that might mean we're here for Christmas…"

"The more the merrier!" said Sirius with such obvious sincerity that Molly beamed at him, threw on an apron, and began to help with breakfast. After breakfast everyone made their way upstairs to sleep for a bit. Molly and Artemis sat a bit longer over their teacups.

"They had a hard time stopping the bleeding. Someone even tried closing the bites the Muggle way, with a needle and thread, but the thread just dissolved from the venom. It was…very touch and go for a bit there," Molly choked out, covering her face with her hands; shoulders shaking in silent sobs.

Artemis rushed over and wrapped her arms around the older woman's shoulders. "There," she murmured. "Cry it all out, I know it was terrifying." She held Molly for several minutes until the weeping subsided into shaky breaths. Artemis wiped her own few tears away and finally stepped back, "Your tea's gone cold. I'll get you a new cup," she said softly, giving Molly a moment to collect herself.

"That man drives me mad, but I don't know how I'd live without him," said Molly quietly. Artemis smiled as she brought over a hot cup of tea.

"Speaking of…how are things with you and Remus?" Molly asked, deliberately changing the subject to try and clear her muddled thoughts.

Artemis stared at her. "We're…friends," she said slowly.

Molly smiled at her patronizingly. "Ginny and Harry are friends too, but that's not how she wants things to be."

Artemis just kept staring at her, not sure if she should confess her growing interest or deny everything. "It's not…not really like that," she finally stammered.

Molly cocked her head and studied the other woman's face intently. "Is it Sirius then? I can't say I really think that's as good a match."

"No!" Artemis burst out, and then realized how loud she'd said that. "I just mean there's no…match…of any kind with anyone," she finished in a lower voice.

Molly studied her for a while longer and seemed satisfied with what she saw, as she nodded slowly and changed the subject. "So, I guess we'll all be here for Christmas if that'll suit?"

"Of course," said Artemis, intensely relieved to talk about something else. "Of course you must stay here. It will be much easier to check up on Arthur. And I think Sirius was secretly hoping to play the gracious host now that the house is…friendlier."

Harry and the Weasleys went to visit Arthur later that day. The next morning Molly decided to keep everyone occupied putting up Christmas decorations, and around dinner time Hermione showed up on the Knight bus to spend the holidays with them. The house was full to bursting again, and Sirius was ridiculously happy, bellowing, "God rest ye merry hippogriff!" at the top of his lungs.

* * *

** Author's Note ** Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate all the reviews and follows. :) When you have invested so much in creating characters and trying to be respectful of another author's characters it's nice to know there are some other people who care about them too! Some of this chapter was taken directly from OOTP. I think this scene of the original book did such a good job illustrating the difference between the kids in the beginning of the book who were so eager to be involved in the Order, and now when they are more concerned with how things are affecting them personally, in spite of the work they've been doing with Dumbledore's Army. This book (and the movie) is probably one of my favorites, because I think it really captures how cut off the kids felt from what the adults were doing, and how when push came to shove they felt responsible for handling things themselves because the adults didn't seem to be handling things appropriately, and so much of that depends on our perspectives as kids vs. adults doesn't it?


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 ~ December, 1995

Christmas at Twelve Grimmauld Place was more cheerful than it had probably ever been in that old tomb of a house. Although truthfully the house hardly resembled itself, Artemis had done so much work on it.

Sirius insisted they open their gifts together in the drawing room, lit with candles that reflected off the tinsel. Molly sat on one of the drawing room sofas, Hermione and Ginny next to her. Fred and George were draped over the other, and the rest sprawled across the floor, all still snuggled in pajamas and bathrobes. Sirius sat closest to the tree so he could be in charge of handing out the presents. A tea trolley was loaded down with pots of tea, cinnamon rolls and chocolate muffins. Artemis sat cross legged by the fire, petting Crookshanks. Remus grabbed a cup of tea and a muffin and sat beside her.

"Happy Christmas," he murmured softly. "I see you made a friend. He is a particularly intelligent animal, excellent taste in humans." Artemis smiled as Remus reached across her to scratch the hideous cat under his chin. Crookshanks purred appreciatively.

"Time for presents!" announced Sirius. He handed round all the packages according to their tags, and then instructed everyone to take turns opening them so they could see what each person had received. "Now, Molly, you go first. Age before beauty, you know."

Molly rolled her eyes, "I though you had a reputation for being charming," she quipped as she opened an envelope from Sirius, Remus and Artemis. Inside was a reservation at a very posh restaurant in Muggle London. "You two deserve a proper night out after everything," said Remus, "enjoy being together when Arthur's well." Molly smiled her thanks, eyes bright with tears.

"Well, then Sirius, you and Remus are next," said Artemis, standing to her feet. Molly joined her and the two unrolled a huge tapestry to hang in place of the Black family tree done in lovely reds and golds. Names danced like scrollwork over the piece; James Lily Potter, Marlene McKinnon, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Fleamont and Euphemia Potter, Frank and Alice Longbottom, Alastor Moody, Emmaline Vance, Lyall and Hope Lupin, Dorcas Meadows, Gideon Prewett, Fabian Prewett, Arthur and Molly Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black…everyone that had made a difference in the lives of the Order members. Sirius swallowed hard and he and Remus almost reverently took the piece and hung it on the empty wall.

Everyone stayed silent for a moment, giving them time to process their emotions. Sirius walked over to Artemis and grabbed her in a bone crushing hug. He cupped her face in his hands, studying her. "Kitten, you are brilliant." He kissed her cheek and hugged her again.

"Merry Christmas, Sirius," she said softly. Sirius stepped to the side and practically pushed her at Remus, moving to give Molly an equally fierce hug.

Remus smiled and took Artemis' hand, gently running his thumb over her knuckles. "You are full of surprises, Miss Scamander…" Realizing now that everyone was watching them, he quickly leaned down and kissed her cheek. When he pulled away thought he saw a flash of something in her eyes, but a moment later the look was gone, and Artemis was returning to her seat by the fire.

They went around and around the room, each opening new clothes, books and piles of candy. Sirius was contentedly chewing on a licorice wand, leaning against the side of the sofa, head resting on Artemis' shoulder. He was basking in the warmth and love and friendship in the room. His old house finally redeemed from darkness.

"This is for you," whispered Sirius, handing Artemis a small box. She opened it and found herself quite speechless. A small silver necklace lay in the box, crescent moon and star pendants twinkling in the candlelight.

"Sirius, this is too much," she whispered. "Why…"

"We wanted to make sure you knew how special you are. How much we appreciate your friendship, what you've done for us…for the house. It was my idea, and Moony picked it out."

"Thank you," she whispered again. "It's…it's incredible."

They were interrupted by Hermione opening a present from Remus, Sirius and Artemis. It included a book titled, _A History of the Wizarding Community in America_ , and one of the note-taking quills that Artemis had found in Diagon Alley.

"This is wonderful, thank you," she said sincerely.

"I don't know if you're allowed to use those quills in class, but it might help with homework. The quill was Remus' idea, and Severus helped me pick them out," said Artemis. Hermione looked surprised, but pleased.

"You went Christmas shopping with Snape?!" Harry choked in a horrified voice. Ron and the twins looked a little sick. "But he's…horrible."

Artemis looked uncomfortable. She didn't want to go through this again. "He was perfectly nice to me. And he had some good input on the presents…" her voice trailed off at the angry faces on the boys. Sirius and Remus didn't look particularly pleased either.

"Well, I think it's a wonderful present," blurted Hermione. "And I know Snape's a terrible bully, but…"

"He can't exactly be nice to the students, can he?" interjected Ginny. "With that voice, it would be like the year with Professor Lupin all over again…" she stopped abruptly, as though she'd said too much.

At that, Molly Weasley started to laugh. Ginny looked over at her, then at Hermione and they started laughing too. Artemis glanced at Remus and smiled at the bewildered look on his face.

"What do I have to do with Snape being nice?" he asked confusedly.

"I think what the girls mean is that Severus might have a hard time keeping order in his classroom if he weren't strict. The female students would be…distracted," Molly explained.

"They can't find that greasy git attractive?!" Sirius burst out, making a face.

Hermione and Ginny looked at each other, then at the boys.

"Well, no, not exactly, but his voice is…hypnotic"

"Sexy."

"And if he were nice…"

"The girls would never shut up about it."

"But…what's that to do with…what happened the year Lupin was there?" Ron asked, still bewildered. Everyone turned to look at Remus, who was bright red and studying his tea cup intently.

"Honestly, Ron," said Hermione, rolling her eyes. "You should have heard the sixth and seventh years when Professor Lupin was there…"

"Dead annoying," nodded Ginny.

"Professor Lupin's really fit," said Hermione in a false high pitched tone.

"He must be so brave, knowing how to fight all those dark creatures," simpered Ginny.

The two girls dissolved into giggles.

Ron raised his eyebrows, "So just like you were when Lockhart taught Defense, then?"

Hermione blushed and glared at him. Sirius nudged Remus. "What do you have to say for yourself, Professor?"

Remus cleared his throat, uncomfortably. "I, uh…may have had to discourage a few girls that were a little too eager for um…private tutoring."

Sirius roared with laughter. Fred and George snickering right along with him.

"But that doesn't have anything to do with Artemis going out with Snape!" interrupted Harry harshly. "She could have told him anything about the Order, that he could take back to Voldemort!"

Everyone froze at the sudden tension in the room. Artemis gaped at him. "Harry, I would never…never do anything to compromise the Order. I simply wanted to go shopping in Diagon Alley and Severus was already going there, so I invited myself along." Remus covertly covered her shaking hands with his own, and felt her calm a little.

"Oh Merlin's Christmas tree, can we please stop talking about Snape?!" groaned Sirius. He grabbed another present and tore into the paper, not looking at the tag. It was a thick red sweater from Twillfit and Tattings. He yanked off his bathrobe and pulled the sweater on over his pajamas. "Now this is heavenly. I'm never taking it off. Who in the world likes me enough to buy something this nice?" He darted a quick glance at Harry, who still looked annoyed.

"Harry and I picked it out," said Artemis suddenly.

Harry looked at her in confusion from where he leaned against the sofa, and Hermione kicked him. "Right," Harry said. "I uh…well…" He looked at Sirius in the red sweater, watching him hopefully. "It seemed like a gift I might get…you know…for my dad."

Sirius looked at him wide-eyed, then looked down, blinking rapidly. "Thank you, Harry. That…means a lot," he finally said in a rough voice.

Harry looked at Artemis, half frustrated, half grateful. She gave him a hesitant smile and a quick wink.

Remus opened a squashy package next, and pulled out a deliciously soft cardigan in a deep blue. "This is lovely, Artemis, thank you."

"You're welcome," she smiled mischievously, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Do you want to guess what it's made of?"

"Boyfriend material," coughed Sirius, so quietly only Remus heard him.

"It's one hundred percent wool…" Artemis continued, without waiting for Remus to answer. She covered her mouth with her hands as she laughed a half muffled snort.

Remus gave her a confused smile. "What's so funny?"

"You'll be a wolf in sheep's clothing," she piped, trying to control her laughter.

"Nice one," said Sirius, nodding approvingly.

Remus' eyes twinkled a little as he groaned, "It's never going to end, is it?"

"No," said Sirius and Artemis together, giving each other a high five.

"This is from us," chimed Fred and George in unison, as they handed Artemis a strangely shaped present. She hesitantly unwrapped it, and stared blankly at the ukulele.

"Ummm, thanks?" she said. "I can't say I ever thought about playing a ukulele, but I guess I could give it a try."

She was about to strum the strings, when she caught the mischievous glances the twins exchanged.

"Actually I think I might try it later, when there aren't so many people in the blast zone," she said, setting the small instrument off to the side. "Knowing you two, it will explode or cover me with glitter or make people's ears bleed or something."

The boys pouted for a moment until Fred, or maybe George, said, "Well, we appreciate your recognition of our instrument enchanting capabilities."

The other twin shrugged, "And whenever you do decide to try it, I promise you'll love it."

When the group was surrounded by opened presents, torn wrapping and miles of ribbon, Molly wandered down to the kitchen to start preparations for the enormous Christmas dinner they'd planned to have before visiting Arthur again at St. Mungo's. Remus and Artemis began gathering up the empty plates and cups to take back down.

"It looks pretty on you," Remus said, nodding at the necklace that rested on her collarbone.

"It's lovely," Artemis smiled, touching the necklace. "Thank you so much. And thank you for the book."

"Well, you had to read _Hogwarts: A History_. How else are you going to finally be able to admit that we have the better school?"

Artemis dramatically clutched her chest. "Ugh, and betray my brethren? Never! Be gone foul temptress!"

Remus snickered. "You sound like Walburga Black. And I'm a tempter, not a temptress."

"Yikes, that's harsh." Artemis wrinkled her nose at him. "And temptress sounds much more dramatic. Besides, what do you have – a ragged old sorting hat? Whereas we…we have the floor of destiny!" She spun and flung out her arms as she said this, whacking him in the chest. Remus laughed and grabbed her hand, turning her back to face him. She smiled, pointing a finger at his nose. "So clearly, we…are…the best!"

"Cleary," he agreed indulgently. She looked so enchanting standing there with the candlelight picking up streaks of gold in her dark hair, that Remus didn't even realize he was staring. Artemis simply stood there, a flock of butterflies in her stomach, watching him watch her. _He has such nice eyes, they're gentle, with just a hint of mischief sometimes. He has a nice laugh too, and those cute little closed lip smiles…those lips probably feel…Whoa there, Scamander! You'd better keep a lid on those thoughts, girl. That's going to bring nothing but trouble._

The neck of her pajamas had slipped down a little, and Remus was able to see one more star of her tattoo further down over her collarbone than normal, and still the ink trailed onward. It was only when he heard her breathing change slightly that he noticed how close they were standing and that he'd been ogling her neck. Remus took a step backward and cleared his throat, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "You'd better go help Molly with the dinner," he said brusquely. "I'll finish clearing up in here."

Artemis looked as if she wanted to say something, but nodded and slipped away. Remus scrubbed his hand over his face, frustrated. _Get a grip on yourself, man. There's no future there. Not that she's even indicated she's interested. She's just a temporary distraction, get over it._

With a half-hearted curse, Remus kicked the sofa leg and stalked out of the room. Hermione, who had been hidden under a blanket with a book had watched the entire scene with wide-eyes. Blinking, she turned back to the page, to read Mr. Darcy declaring: _In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you._ "Oh!" breathed Hermione in a hushed voice, looking back to where Professor Lupin had been standing.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 ~ January, 1996

Sirius wandered into the kitchen, wondering if he needed something to snack on. Hermione was sitting at the table with books and parchments surrounding her, but rather than working was staring off into space.

"What's got you all dewy-eyed?" Sirius asked, rummaging around for the biscuits he was sure Artemis had hidden from the ravenous teenage boys.

She squeaked in surprise, clearly not having heard him come into the room. "I was just thinking about Professor Lupin."

Sirius wrinkled his nose at her. "Should your red-headed Romeo be jealous?"

Hermione blushed up to the roots of her hair. "No, that's not what I meant," she scolded him.

Sirius laughed. "I was just teasing. What about Moony has you so distracted?" he asked, turning back to the cupboard.

Hermione looked a little embarrassed. "Well, I was just thinking about how he's a little like a character in this book. The character is in love with this woman, but he doesn't think he should be, so he keeps trying to distance himself from her."

"Aha!" Sirius, voice muffled because his head was deep in the back of the cupboard, emerged holding aloft the package of biscuits like a prize. "Found them!" He sat across the table from Hermione, opening the package and offering her one. "I'm intrigued," he said. "Tell me more about this book."

Hermione looked a little surprised at that. "Really? Usually the others ignore me when I rabbit on about books."

Sirius waved his hand dismissively. "Ron will come around eventually. He'd be a fool not to."

"Um…well…that wasn't quite what I meant," Hermione stammered, staring at him wide-eyed. Sirius gave her a knowing look and a quick wink. "Anyway…" Hermione went on briskly, "the book is called _Pride and Prejudice_."

"Ah, and it's about prejudice against werewolves?"

"What? No, no. It's about a man and woman who at first resist falling in love because he is too proud to think he might marry into a family like hers and she is prejudiced against him because of an unfortunate first impression."

"I see. And Remus reminds you of this character? Most of the time people ascribe arrogance to my list of character traits, not his."

Hermione smiled at that. "Well, I guess it's not so much that Professor Lupin's proud. The character, Mr. Darcy, tried to hide from his feelings when he started to fall for Elizabeth, because he didn't think it was an appropriate match. And I was just thinking perhaps Professor Lupin was doing the same thing, avoiding his attraction to Artemis."

Sirius raised his eyebrows.

Hermione all of a sudden looked a little embarrassed that she'd been making assumptions about an adult that she respected. "Well, I don't know for certain…that is, I wouldn't want to presume…or gossip about him."

Sirius leaned forward with a mischievous smile. "Me now, I love a good gossip. And you're right of course. Moony's very close to falling for our resident spy, but he's convinced himself all romantic attachments are impossible because of his furry little problem. Does your book have a happy ending?"

"Yes. They both decide they love each other in spite of everything. And Elizabeth's sister, Jane, falls in love with Mr. Darcy's best friend, Mr. Bingley, so there's lots of weddings and happiness all around."

"Bingley?" Sirius said, sitting back abruptly in his chair. "Is that a common Muggle name?"

Hermione looked confused. "No, I don't think so. I've never heard of any apart from the book. There's Mr. Bingley and his sister, Caroline."

"Caroline Bingley is a character in a book," Sirius muttered to himself. "That's why the owls couldn't find her. Why that…sneaky witch."

Hermione looked at him expectantly. "Sorry," smiled Sirius, shaking his head, "Never mind. Now, the real question is does your brilliant brain have any suggestions on how to convince our reluctant lycanthrope to acknowledge his feelings?"

"Ah, no. Sorry. I'd only just realized he might like her, from the way he watches her." Hermione looked hesitant for a moment. "Is…is Artemis a werewolf too? Her scars…"

"She's not, but she does have a lot of experience with them. That's gone a long way to breaking down the barriers he puts up. He doesn't have to worry about keeping it a secret or that she'll think he's a monster or too dangerous. Now we're just down to the 'he can't hold a job' and the 'he doesn't want to risk transmitting it to any children' and the 'she'll be a social outcast' arguments. So I'm hopeful that we're slowly wearing him down."

Hermione smiled. "Well, history has shown that you're a very determined individual, so I'm sure if anyone can manage it, you can."

"Here's hoping," he said, grabbing another biscuit. "I'll leave you to your work, and um…best not tell the others about this little chat. If Remus found out I was plotting I'd be in the dog house," he added with a wink.

Hermione smiled obligingly at the pun and nodded, turning back to her books.

* * *

It was the last day of the kids' holidays and Artemis could feel the headache coming. Severus had come to speak with Harry about beginning Occlumency lessons, and he and Sirius had begun sniping at each other from the moment he walked in the door. When Harry had entered the room it only escalated – Sirius being protective and Severus taking great delight mocking the pair – until Sirius lost his temper completely.

"No!" Harry yelled suddenly, vaulting over the table and trying to get between the two who had now drawn wands on each other.

Artemis grabbed on to Severus' wand arm, as Harry stood in front of Sirius. "Are you calling me a coward?!" roared Sirius, trying to move Harry out of the way.

"Why yes, I suppose I am," said Snape.

"Oh good grief, Severus, give it a rest!" shouted Artemis, trying to pull his wand away. Harry took a moment to wonder how she had the courage to try that and why Snape didn't fling her out of the way or hex her too.

The kitchen door swung open and the entire Weasley family plus Hermione and Remus came inside, all looking very happy. Arthur walked proudly in their midst dressed in a pair of striped pajamas covered by a mackintosh.

"Cured!" he announced brightly to the kitchen at large. "Completely cured!"

He and the others froze on the threshold, gazing at the scene in front of them, which was also frozen in mid-action. Sirius and Severus looked to the door, wands pointing in each other's faces. Artemis tugging helplessly on Snape's arm and Harry immobile between them, a hand stretched out to each, trying to force them apart.

"Merlin's beard," said Arthur, the smile sliding off his face. "What's going on here?"

Both Sirius and Severus lowered their wands. Each wore an expression of utmost contempt, yet the unexpected entrance of so many witnesses seemed to have brought them to their senses. Snape dropped his arm with an inscrutable expression and pocketed his wand, sweeping out of the kitchen.

Artemis looked uncommonly angry. Sirius glared as Snape left the kitchen and then caught Artemis' expression. He dropped the glare and looked a little, only a very little, remorseful. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I guess I just aggravated the situation."

"No, he did," she responded in a clipped voice. "You had a concern about your kid. He used it to goad you. A grown man mocking a teenage boy…slimy piece of worm-ridden filth," she muttered in a low growl as she started to crash about the kitchen making tea. Harry had a little grin on his face both at being referred to as Sirius' kid and because Artemis was defending him instead of Snape. "But you…" she added flinging around and pointing her wand at Sirius, "should have let it go. You're never going to get even with each other flinging insults around. It's juvenile."

Sirius smiled at her charmingly and placed his hand over his heart. "I solemnly swear I will try and reform."

Artemis shook her head at him, trying not to smile. "No you won't. You're an incorrigible old dog." Then a thought occurred to her and she looked angry again. "And another thing – you are not a coward." She paused to shoot a scowl at Fred and George, who stared down at their shoes. "A coward doesn't break out of a maximum security prison and swim across the North Sea and live off rats and scraps to try and right a wrong and look out for his kid."

"Hear, hear," interjected Remus from the doorway. Artemis jerked her head towards him in surprise. He was smiling at her and her answering smile was so warm and bright you could have lit a candle by it. Sirius caught Molly smirking at them and gave her a little wink and a smirk of his own as the rest trickled into the room and sat around the long table.

Sirius came over and pecked Artemis on the cheek. "Thanks for that, Kitten," he whispered. He carried a tray of cake over to the table and sat beside Harry, ruffling his hair. The moment that Artemis had grabbed Snape's arm and said _Good grief Severus_ , Sirius had the strangest sense of déjà vu. He'd guessed Snape did as well, and that was why he hadn't simply shaken Artemis off his arm like an annoying insect. Once in their sixth year Sirius and Snape had been antagonizing each other all day, until they'd found themselves about to duel in the hallway outside of the Charms classroom. Regulus, who would typically have kept out of the situation, intervened, grabbing Snape's wand arm and using Artemis' exact words. Sirius had assumed at the time that he was trying to keep Snape from getting hexed up, down and sideways, but now he wondered if Reggie had been trying to help him instead.

Sirius sighed and ran a hand tiredly through his hair, as he watched Artemis out of the corner of his eye. He wondered sometimes if the universe hadn't sent him that witch simply to help him gain some closure with his family. There was something about the way she held herself and her phrases and facial expressions that reminded him so much of his brother. Over the years Sirius had focused more on the bad memories – the times his parents had intentionally pitted them against each other over dinner when they were home for summer or winter holidays, the times he'd seen Regulus supporting his vile Slytherin friends at school as they tormented other students, the way he'd stood there stone-faced as Sirius was denounced and kicked out of the house, seeing him gloat at the Slytherin table as he showed off the Dark Mark to his friends. But since Artemis had come to the house, Sirius had been uncomfortably reminded of other times – when Regulus had tried to convince him in whispers to just agree with their parents so he wouldn't be punished any more, when he'd snuck into Sirius' room with a Christmas present first year after Sirius had been sorted into Griffyndor and their parents had refused to give him any gifts. Sometimes Sirius imagined what Reggie would have been like if he'd been sorted into a different house, and he thought he probably would have turned out a lot like Artemis – strong and kind, with a funny sense of humor and a peacekeeping streak.

Sirius sighed again, and Harry looked at him quizzically. "All right, Sirius?"

"Yeah. Brilliant," he answered distractedly.

"Don't pay any attention to Snape. He's a foul git," Harry said encouragingly. "Besides, Artemis took up for you didn't she?"

Sirius smiled and ruffled his hair again. "Too right she did."

* * *

Artemis sighed at the explosion of laundry all over the room. She set to work sorting things into piles – unharmed, salvageable, irreparable, burnt to a crisp.

"Artemis, dear, I was just going to make some tea…" Molly's voice trailed off as she surveyed the damage. "Kreacher?"

"Kreacher," answered Artemis.

"Does this happen often?" Molly asked, summoning the articles of clothing dangling from the rafters.

"Probably once every couple weeks."

Molly studied the damage. "It's none of my business of course, but aren't these Remus' things? Why are you doing this?"

Artemis looked at her for a long moment, "Oh, a couple reasons. I've been attempting to win over Kreacher, but it's slow going. Apparently serving the Noble House of Black doesn't extend to a half-blood werewolf houseguest. If Sirius knew Kreacher had been doing this he'd handle it badly, and it would set me back. Plus, these men need help. You saw how they were living before I got here. It was pretty pathetic. They need a mom."

Molly chuckled, "Most men do. What's the other reason?"

Artemis gave her a wry grin. "Ah, it's the ever present side dish of guilt. Trying to earn my keep."

Molly nodded, her own smile fading somewhat. "You don't think what we're dealing with will encourage the Americans to help, then?"

Artemis shook her head. "No. And even if they do it will be too late for Britain."

Molly sighed. "I lost both my brothers in the first war, you know. And I'm sick at the thought that my children are rushing into the same fight we had to face at their age. But I'm also proud that they know what's right and they're willing to take a stand." She shook her head and finished in an exasperated voice, "I guess all those strong wills are good in the long run, though they drive me mad."

Artemis smiled. "Well," she said, looking over the pile of clothes. "How do you feel about repairing sweaters over a cup of tea?"

"My knitting needles are at your service," Molly answered brightly, her arms full of jumpers. "But just as a point of conversation, I think the word you were looking for earlier was wife, not mum. He needs a wife."

Artemis blushed. "That's not a conversation we need to have."

Molly laughed. "Fair enough, dear. But how on earth have you been able to mend everything without them noticing? They seem to pop in here frequently enough."

Artemis got a wicked little grin on her face. She waved her wand and muttered a few things. The huge Victorian clothes press lowered from the ceiling and the small washcloths hanging all over it were transfigured into pieces of lingerie. "I just make sure this is between me and the door. When Remus walks in he almost immediate turns and walks out. Sirius doesn't, of course, but he gets so distracted making comments on my style and color choices that he's oblivious to whatever I'm working on."

"Clever girl," Molly laughed. "Well, Remus is a lovely man, I'm very pleased for you."

Artemis looked at her warily. "There's nothing going on between us."

Molly raised her eyebrows. "Artemis Scamander, I have seven children. I have been through more first loves and silly fancies than you can imagine. I can see what's going on." She smirked a little. "And yet Fred and George still think I can't tell them apart…bloody mental those two."

Artemis stared at her for a moment and then burst out laughing. As their laughter died down, she caught Molly looking at her knowingly, and unconsciously blushed. Artemis turned away to make tea and Molly took a seat at the table, gathering up one of Remus' jumpers and pulling a pair of knitting needles from a pocket. They worked in silence for a little while. Molly's needles clicked softly while Artemis squinted over sewing on a button.

"I do like Remus very much, of course. He's a very kind person," Artemis suddenly said.

"Mm-hm," murmured Molly, not looking up from the knitting. "Yes, he's a good man."

"We just…sort of got off to a rocky start. And things are friendly now, and I don't want to mess that up. Besides, I don't really think he's interested. Anytime we seem to be close to having a…a moment he leaves or changes the subject."

Molly looked up then and smiled, a kind, motherly smile, not teasing. "Well I can't speak to how he feels, and I don't want to interfere. But I will tell you from my experience, when Arthur is being particularly frustrating he either is completely oblivious or he thinks he's doing it for my own good."

Artemis thought that over. "Soooo, I either need to be more obvious or let it alone? That's…not particularly helpful."

Molly laughed. "No, I suppose it's not."

"I thought men were supposed to be simple creatures that existed on good food and physical affection," sighed Artemis.

Molly choked on the sip of tea she'd just taken. "Oh no, my dear. No person is simple. The only way you'll know how he really feels is to ask him."

Artemis sighed again. "Yeah, I'm not ready to do that." She finished mending a torn sleeve and snipped off the end of the thread. "Molly, you've been married a long time. You've made it work. Why is love so complicated?"

Molly shook her head. "Love is the part that is simple. It's just hard work. You can't always depend on affectionate feelings to carry you through."

Artemis frowned and pulled another piece of clothing off the pile.

"But…dear," added Molly, "don't keep up this laundry business without addressing things with him. If he's not interested, but you continue to mend his jumpers that's a bit creepy."

* * *

Remus paused in surprise as he pulled on his shirt. He could have sworn there was a button missing and a tear in the sleeve, and now it was in fine shape.

"Hey Padfoot," he called as he trudged down the stairs and into the drawing room. "Did you ask Kreacher to fix this shirt?"

Sirius looked at him incredulously. "I don't speak to him more than I need to. Kreacher!" he called.

CRACK! The hunching elf appeared and bowed his head. "What does Master Sirius require?" he asked.

"Um…thank you, Kreacher…for fixing this shirt." Remus said, looking down at the little elf confusedly.

Kreacher glared at Remus and looked over the shirt suspiciously. "Kreacher lives to serve the Noble House of Black," he answered slowly, darting a glance at Sirius.

"Um…right…well, you may go," Sirius said.

CRACK! The old elf was gone. Sirius shrugged. "Maybe he's had a change of heart?"

It was Remus' turn to shoot Sirius an incredulous look.

* * *

** Author's Note ** Thanks so much for reading, favorite-ing (is that a word?) and following! I really like this brother/sister relationship Sirius and Artemis have. Their interactions have actually been easier to write than the romantic relationships, which surprised me. Anyway...just a random thought from my head. Please leave a review or send me a message if something ever feels way off character-wise, timeline wise or whatever. It's intentionally off canon in certain areas, and I'm happy to talk about why I chose this or that.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 ~ February, 1996

On the evening of February's full moon, the trio was sequestered in the drawing room. Severus had been by around noon to drop off the Wolfsbane potion, which always put Sirius in a bad mood, and now a cold wind whipped around the house imitating a howling sound that made Remus more edgy than usual. Artemis was writing up notes from the last Order meeting, Remus was trying unsuccessfully to read a book, and Sirius was still irritable and starting to get bored. "We should go to that karaoke bar again, drink too much, sing terrible Muggle music and pick up girls."

Remus turned the page he hadn't read. "No, Sirius," he responded in a calm voice, like you'd use with a child who was misbehaving for attention. "I can promise you a one-night stand does not help."

"You're too tense, Moony, it might help. Or maybe…we need to find you a nice werewolf girl." Sirius pondered.

Artemis rolled her eyes and Remus turned another page of his book. "Drop it Padfoot," he said pleasantly.

Something in his voice made Artemis look over at him. He was clearly trying to appear casual, but he was holding himself tensely, clenching his jaw.

"I can see it now…Remus and his mate, a litter of pups playing on the hearth rug…"

"Sirius…" Artemis said warningly. Lost in his teasing ramble, Sirius didn't see Remus grip the arm of the chair. His knuckles white.

"Uncle Padfoot would spoil them rotten of course…" Sirius finally looked over in surprise as Remus stalked out of the room and slammed the door.

Artemis sighed and pushed back the glasses that had slipped down her nose. "Merlin, Sirius, you're his best friend. What were you thinking?"

Sirius was dumbfounded. "I…don't know what I said…it's a nice idea, isn't it? Someone who's like him who would understand what he goes through."

Artemis looked at him skeptically. "Your best friend is a werewolf. Have you really never read up on them?"

Sirius managed to look both embarrassed and affronted. "Well, no. A war and twelve years in prison didn't leave me much opportunity to read up on werewolves. I do know what he goes through each month. What's wrong with what I said?"

Artemis looked at him silently for a moment. "Female werewolves can't have children," she finally said quietly. "A baby can't survive the transformation, so any viable pregnancy is miscarried after the first full moon."

"What?! Oh…I…had no idea…" He turned and looked out the window, where the wind blew away thin gray clouds, revealing the cold white full moon. The heavy door to Remus' room slammed nearby and a heart-rending howl tore through the house.

"Come on," said Artemis, grabbing Sirius' arm and pulling him to the door. "He shouldn't be alone."

"Of course not, I always stay with him," Sirius frowned at her. "You don't have to…I don't think he wants you to see him…like that."

"Sirius, please open the door."

Sirius reluctantly unlocked the door and pulled it open. Artemis paused for a moment to appreciate the space. Besides the bed and wardrobe expected in a bedroom, there were large cushions and a heavy blanket on the floor. The walls and ceiling had been enchanted to look like a forest. In the darkest corner the werewolf was curled up, panting slightly. He growled and stood at the human scent. The next moment the scent was gone as a large black dog and tawny mountain lion stood in their place. Remus whimpered mournfully and turned toward the wall, ignoring them both. Artemis studied him silently. He was curled up as tight as possible on the bare floor in the corner, avoiding all the comfort he didn't think he deserved. Standing at his full height he would have been taller than her brother Apollo had been, but his fur was patchier and he didn't seem as healthy.

Padfoot nosed him for a moment, and when the werewolf didn't respond, he let out a doggy kind of sigh and turned to curl up on a cushion in the opposite corner. Artemis paced around the room for a moment getting a feel for the space, then strode over to Remus. Two pairs of golden eyes watched each other warily. She stretched out close beside him and rubbed the top of her head under his chin, making comforting growly sounds in her throat. The werewolf held himself very stiffly and tried to pull away, but the lion wouldn't stop. She rubbed her jaw over his head and licked his ears.

Remus finally snarled at her and pulled himself up, growling softly. Sirius whined and rose to his feet, ready to intervene. Artemis sat perfectly still, resembling an Egyptian statue. The golden eyes of the werewolf studied her, finally resting on her scars. He howled a sharp piercing cry, but she didn't flinch. Remus approached her slowly, and Artemis was reminded of her first night in the house, as he again inhaled the scent along her scarred face and neck. It took her a moment to realize that he had lightly flicked his tongue over the scars, and was now pressing his forehead into her neck, whimpering.

She let out a deep breath that sounded just the littlest bit like a purr and nuzzled her head against his. Padfoot let out a happy bark and was suddenly between them, nosing and licking their faces. Artemis growled in frustration and ran her paw over her face, trying to wipe away Sirius' exuberance. Remus lay down once more, this time in the center of the room on a large cushion resting his chin on his paws. Artemis stretched out languidly on her side, next to him, head leaning against Remus's shoulder, and Sirius curled in a tight ball nestled into his other side. Within a few minutes they were all asleep to the rumble of purring growls and snuffily breaths.

The next morning Remus awoke sore and headachy as usual, but not cold as usual. He slowly opened his eyes and saw he was pressed up against the back of a large mountain lion, his face practically buried in the fur of her neck. The memories of last night came flooding back and he felt equal measures of shame and gratitude. Artemis had pushed him, and he could have easily hurt her. He remembered the frustrated anger coursing through him until he'd suddenly caught sight of her scars. That had brought him up short. She, better than most, knew what might have happened and she did it anyway.

Remus felt Padfoot wake up and move away from him. Then a cloak was spread over him and he turned to see Sirius smirking at him with raised eyebrows. "You might want to wake her up if you want that morning after steak."

"Bugger off," Remus replied, closing his eyes again.

"You remember you're starkers, right?" Sirius laughed.

Remus groaned and sat up stiffly. The movement woke Artemis, who stretched and yawned. Her pink lion's tongue curling up to the tip of her nose, fur shuddering down her back as she moved each muscle. Then she stood and transformed back, and pushed her rumpled hair back from her face. "I'll grab a shower and get started on breakfast," she said through another yawn, and Remus watched regretfully as she left the room.

"I'm sorry about what I said last night, Moony. I didn't realize…about the females…" Sirius said in an apologetic tone, as he gave Remus a hand and pulled him to his feet.

"It's fine, Pads. Let's just drop it," Remus sighed.

Sirius moved to leave the room and then turned back. "I wish you'd give her a chance. Give yourself a chance. You two would be really good together."

"Sirius, don't make this more difficult. I'm not in a position to make any kind of commitments to anyone, and she's only here temporarily.

* * *

The kitchen was warm and cozy compared to the chilly wind that whipped around the house. A late February freeze had covered the city with a glittering layer of frost, and Artemis had felt thoroughly frozen by the time she returned with the shopping. She lugged the bags into the room, startling when a pair of hands began to take them from her. She smiled gratefully at Remus as he grabbed most of the bags and set them on the table. Artemis flung the remaining bags down beside them and dropped into a chair.

"I could have helped you with the shopping, since it's so cold out today," Remus said as he handed her a hot cup of tea and began to unpack the bags.

"I didn't think you wanted to be alone with me," Artemis said a bit more sharply than she intended. Remus stilled and she immediately wished she hadn't said that as she felt the guilt rolling off of him. Artemis closed her eyes and sighed wearily. "I'm sorry, that was unnecessarily harsh. I just honestly don't understand you sometimes. You've been avoiding me for over a week. I thought…I thought I'd made it clear that you could trust me."

"I do trust you, Artemis," Remus replied quietly. "But you…you unsettle me sometimes."

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, frustrated. She jumped as the radio came to life and began blaring. She yanked her wand out of her coat pocket and waved it angrily at the device. It went silent for a moment and then started up again.

 _Now man is born to go a loving  
_ _A woman's born to weep and fret  
_ _To stay at home and tend her oven  
_ _And drown her past regrets  
_ _In coffee and cigarettes_

Artemis groaned and buried her head in her arms on the tabletop. "Don't pay any attention to me," she mumbled. "I'm just…I don't know…tired or hormonal or something." She heard him set down whatever was in his hands and take the few steps toward her, pulling out the chair beside her and sitting down with a sigh.

"Can you look at me, please?"

Artemis raised her head to meet his kind eyes and immediately wished she hadn't. She felt the tears begin to gather and blinked rapidly to keep them away, looking back down at the table. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him lift a hand and hesitate before stroking her hair away from her face.

"I'm sorry," Remus said, his voice a little gruff. "I've been on my own far too long, and the way you so willingly open yourself up and…push yourself into other people's lives is…unsettling to me. You know I don't have a great track record with people being trustworthy, and so when I feel you've pushed past another barrier I've put up, I have a hard time not pulling away. It's a rather instinctual reaction I'm afraid."

"Does it cancel out the pushiness if I tell you I mean well?" Artemis sniffed pitifully, glancing back up at his face.

Remus smiled sadly. "I think you would agree that your good intentions haven't always worked out well for you. I don't want to be the cause of something like that happening again."

"But you can't pull away from friendship because you're worried about how things will end," she said softly. "I know I'm pushy and I always think I'm right, and so maybe you do need to set up…boundaries with me or something. But I can't do radio silence. Please don't pull away from me like that."

Remus nodded, frowning. "I think I need to apologize again. I'm afraid I've grown accustomed to Sirius' relentless approach to friendship. He is completely oblivious to boundaries, so the only way he recognizes that he's gone too far is if I shut him down completely."

Artemis grinned at that. "I think he's well aware of the boundaries. He just thinks if he keeps blowing past them you'll open up more and move the boundary line out further."

Remus looked surprised. "Hmm. Perhaps you're right." He reached out and brushed her hair back again. "Will you forgive me for shutting you out? I greatly appreciate your friendship and I don't want to hurt you."

Artemis smiled, "Only if you forgive me for being pushy and not seeing when I need to back off."

"Deal," Remus nodded, standing to finish putting away the groceries.

Artemis finished her cup of tea and took it over to the sink, grabbing the bag of potatoes and beginning to scrub them for dinner. Remus smiled and patted her shoulder hesitantly as he left the room. Artemis looked up in surprise a moment later as pink bubbles floated around her. She spun around, but he was no longer in the kitchen. Turning off the water and wiping her hands Artemis stood quietly and watched as the iridescent spheres danced through the room. She didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cry in that moment. "Oh, Remus," she whispered, "You're going to hurt me no matter where those boundary lines wind up."


	18. Chapter 18

** Long chapter! There just wasn't a good place to break this up. Hope y'all are enjoying it!

* * *

Chapter 18 ~ March, 1996

Remus announced he wasn't feeling up to going out on the town and would prefer a quiet evening at home, immediately turned and headed back to his room. Sirius shot Artemis a confused glance and darted out of the room, following him up the stairs.

"So what's really going on?" he asked, leaning on the doorframe.

"It just seems like too crazy an evening. I'd rather stay home and read or work on my book."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "The fact that you can't make eye contact leads me to believe that's not entirely true."

"Look, it just doesn't seem like my kind of a venue. I'm more of a cardigan and library type, not the nightclub type."

Sirius left the room abruptly and returned moments later, tossing a pair of black slacks and a pale blue button up shirt on the bed. "Now you'll look the type."

"You're not going to let up on this, are you?" Remus muttered resignedly.

"Not a chance, mate. This will be good for you. Now get dressed." Sirius left the room and clattered back down the stairs.

Remus slowly put on the new clothes, digging out an old pair of black boots to go with it. He stood for a few minutes looking at his reflection in the old dresser, pushing his hair off his forehead, then pulling it back down after seeing how thin it looked. He traced the scars across his cheeks, then looked down at the lines and gouges crisscrossing his arms. He wasn't aware that he was taking a long time, but he must have been standing there quite a while, because the next time he looked up, Sirius was reflected in the mirror behind him.

"So it's not really about the entertainment or the clothes. It's about your scars."

"Well…I…it just seemed…well, it's different thinking about being in a room full of Muggles," he lied. "The wizarding world is slightly more blasé about scars."

"I don't know that I've found that to be true," Sirius answered cynically, "but it will be a dark room. And…some women find scars…sexy…so that's a good thing, right? And honestly, Remus, I know they bother you, but you'd never skived off on a night out because of them. And why are you worried about scars in a room full of Muggles you'll never see again?"

Remus looked suddenly bashful and comprehension flashed across Sirius' face as he grinned broadly. "I knew it! This isn't about Muggles or nightclubs. This is about her. You're worried about how she'll see you! Remus, good grief, mate, did you think she wouldn't understand that? Do you ever see her running around in a bikini?"

Remus shrugged, now thoroughly feeling embarrassed and annoyed. "It just…it mattered when I was young and nobody knew…what I was. And then for years I was too alone and unhappy to care much. Now...I…well, now it matters. And I don't want it to matter, but, bloody hell, why do I feel like a bloody teenager?!" Remus burst out. "Forget it…I'm not going!"

Just then they heard Artemis calling from down the stairs, "Do I need to come up there? Sirius, for pity's sake, let him wear what he wants, it's his birthday after all."

Sirius turned back to Remus, raising his eyebrows suggestively. "See…she doesn't care what you wear. And she's already seen you the morning after dealing with your furry little problem, so I promise that this," he waved his hands, gesturing towards Remus' clothing, "is definitely an improvement."

"Yeah, good talk, Sirius, cheers mate." Remus growled, pushing past him and marching down the stairs. He froze halfway down the stairs as he saw Artemis' reaction. Her eyes widened and her lips parted slightly as she looked him up and down. When she met his gaze, she blushed and quickly looked away. "Well, ready to go then?" she asked, internally cursing her slightly breathless voice.

"Yes, we're all ready to go," Sirius stated firmly, pushing Remus along the stairs. "Remus may sit in a dark corner nursing a drink the whole time, but we're going." He paused at the bottom of the stairs, taking in Artemis' clothing. An old-fashioned red and white polka-dot dress ended in a full skirt just below her knees. Her dark hair was pulled back in a loose chignon with a daisy tucked in the back, and a white cardigan was tossed around her shoulders.

"Ummm, interesting clothing choice for a nightclub, Kitten."

Artemis gave him a funny look. "Why would we take Remus to a nightclub for his birthday? We did that for your birthday. This is a little French restaurant. I said they had a band for dancing on the first floor, but it's swing dancing, Sirius, not a disco."

The gray-blue eyes lit up with delight, and a mischievous smile flitted across his face. "Excellent. Remus' mum taught us the Lindy Hop when we were at school. You remember, right, Moony?"

The three apparated into an alley near the place, lively swing music drifting out of the door. There was a short line of people waiting to enter, most dressed in period clothes. Remus and Artemis on their own would have blended in quietly, but Sirius was simply not made for blending in. At hearing their destination had a swing club, he dashed back upstairs and swapped his brightly colored trousers and velvet evening jacket for black pinstripes and suspenders over a white dress shirt. His hair was pulled back under a dark gray fedora. He now sauntered up to the back of the line, oozing charm and confidence. "Even dressed in black and white he's a bloody peacock," muttered Remus, but when Artemis glanced up at him, he was smiling at Sirius affectionately.

They eased around the crowd and climbed the steps to the little hole-in-the-wall dining room. The maître d' rushed up to them and took Artemis' hands, kissing her soundly on the cheek. "Ah! Mademoiselle Lionne! It is so long since we have seen you!"

Artemis smiled. "How are you, Pierre? I spoke with your mother briefly when I made the reservation. I was happy to hear that your sister is well and back at school."

"Oui, Mademoiselle. She is back at Beauxbatons and doing very well. Please, follow me to your table."

The young man fluttered around them, seating Artemis first. He then held out the chair beside her and gestured to Remus. "Monsieur, you may sit here please."

Remus hesitated slightly until Sirius nudged him, before taking the seat opposite. Pierre continued prattling on, "Everything has been arranged for your birthday, sir. Lovely cake we have ready. Are we waiting for Mademoiselle Renarde to join us?"

Artemis shook her head. "No, we aren't currently working together, and I haven't been able to find a time to meet up with her."

"Well then, here are your menus. It is chilly this evening, so I would recommend the Poulet Basquaise, very heartening."

After Pierre left to fetch some wine, Sirius glanced at the menu curiously. "I haven't tried to read French in years. I think what he recommended is some kind of chicken stew."

Artemis grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "I don't speak French at all. I met the family on a job when I was freelancing, and they are always kind enough to fit me in when I call for a reservation. I usually just order whatever they recommend."

"Why did he call you Mademoiselle Lionne?" asked Remus.

Artemis laughed. "They were code names we used once – Ms. Lion and Ms. Fox, or lioness and vixen if you're being technical…noun genders and all that."

Pierre returned with the wine and took the three orders for the Poulet Basquaise. Sirius raised his glass and looked over at Remus. "Well Moony, I'll always be older than you and you'll always act older than me. And here's hoping we'll have more full moons together than we've had apart," he said, winking over the glass as he took a sip.

Remus smiled at him. "Thank you Padfoot. I know I can always count on you to be…Sirius when then occasion calls for it," he said dryly, lifting his own glass.

Sirius' rough, barking laugh echoed through the room, and Artemis snickered. When they'd finished what proved to be a very satisfying meal and thanked Pierre for his recommendation, a large chocolate gateau was brought in, topped with fresh raspberries. Remus suffered through a rousing version of _Happy Birthday_ that Pierre managed to lead all the other patrons of the restaurant in singing, and blowing out a candle.

When the cake had been sliced and served with hot cups of tea, Remus scooped up the few raspberries decorating his piece of cake and set them on Artemis' plate. "Here," he said, "they're your favorite, right?"

"Yep!" she replied happily, popping one in her mouth.

Remus took a large bite of the rich cake. "Merlin, this is decadent," he murmured, closing his eyes in appreciation.

Sirius raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Should we leave you two alone?"

"Do what you like," answered Remus, waving his fork dismissively. "Artemis and I will indulge in chocolate debauchery."

Artemis choked on the last of her raspberries at the comment, and fumbled for her teacup. Sirius' laugh rang through the room again, and Remus laughed with him, though he flushed slightly as he looked over at Artemis.

"Good grief, I never know what to expect," she said, having finally cleared her throat. "You two are incorrigible."

Having finished their meal, they made their way downstairs and snagged a table near the dance floor. Artemis gave the waiter some cash and asked him to open a tab for their drinks as Sirius watched the crowd speculatively. Suddenly he jumped up and walked across the room, moments later leading a tall blonde out onto the dance floor. Other couples paused to watch them. The blonde was clearly enjoying being the center of attention, and danced perfectly well in her own right. Sirius was an excellent dancer, only improved by his natural flamboyance. All over the club people stopped and watched them. Men narrowed their eyes, trying to size him up, and women stole admiring glances over their dates' shoulders.

Remus and Artemis were content for the moment to sip their drinks and comment on the Art Deco design of the room, the drinks, the people, the music. But after a couple songs, Remus noticed her attention slipping. She watched the band intently, her fingers tapping the table along to the beat. Periodically she'd hum or softly sing along with the song. The lighting made some strands of her hair shine like silver, matching the silver of her tattoos. Remus took a rather large swallow of his drink when he realized how focused he'd been on those tattoos slipping down under her dress. He finally stopped talking altogether and lost himself in observing her, so much so that he almost spilled his drink when Sirius nudged him in the shoulder.

"What are you doing, idiot?!" Sirius whisper-hissed at him. "Ask her to dance, you git, before someone else does!"

Remus stood abruptly, and Artemis looked up at him in surprise. "May I have this next dance?" he asked, holding out a hand to her.

Artemis smiled and took his hand. His voice was confident, but his eyes seemed uncertain. He led her onto the dance floor. She was pleasantly surprised to find that he was quite a capable dancer. Not a Gene Kelly type like Sirius, but any girl would have been proud to partner with him.

"I guess my mother would be pleased her lessons paid off," he commented, correctly interpreting her expression.

"Yes…" said Artemis, "Makes one wonder why you never asked me to dance all those times you were watching me waltzing around in the kitchen."

Remus faltered the next step. "Wh…what?" he tried unsuccessfully to cover his embarrassment. "Well, you see…Dumbledore…that is, we didn't know if we could trust you…How long have you known about that, anyway?"

Artemis was now blatantly laughing at his discomposure. "I've known for months now. I found the mirror in the desk when I was looking for a pair of scissors. That, added to a few comments you two would make about things I'd done when I knew I had been alone."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Artemis shrugged. "I knew you didn't trust me at first, and it seemed to make you both feel better to check up on me. And it's not like I was doing anything in the kitchen that I would have had to hide. What did you ever really see? Me cooking, cleaning up and writing up Order meeting notes, right?"

"Well…at night we've watched you…um…training? I guess?"

Artemis stopped dancing and stared at him. "Oh," she breathed in a small voice.

Just then Sirius whirled past them and grabbed Artemis' hand, leading her away to dance and handing off his current partner to Remus. Remus rose to the occasion, plastered on a smile and danced away the curvy brunette.

"Well, Kitten, you two made it through half a song. I know Moony is more comfortable with conversational language than body language, but you're at a dance. You should be dancing."

Artemis looked up at him, and he was surprised at her expression – sad, embarrassed and angry. "Beautiful woman in his arms, and I should have known he'd cock it up. What did Moony do?" Sirius asked flatly.

"You both watched me in the mirror," she said.

 _Oh…bugger…_

Sirius immediately walked her off the dance floor and sat her down at the table. He pulled his chair up very close to her and gently lifted her chin to look him in the eye. "Yes, we did," he said firmly. "Dumbledore asked us to keep an eye on you and that seemed like the least obtrusive way to do it."

Artemis frowned and waved her had dismissively. "I know that. I knew you were watching during the day. But I…I didn't know you'd seen me practice at night. I'm not proud of some of the things I've done the last five years. And I can only imagine what you must have thought, seeing that."

Sirius was completely dumbstruck for a moment. "Why?" he asked, confusedly. "You're a good fighter."

Artemis looked at him doubtfully. "Everyone at work always mocked me for not being able to duel well and having to resort to fighting like an animal."

Sirius raised his eyebrows at that. "Well," he huffed into his mustache, "as a dog who's had to fight off a werewolf, I can assure you that sometimes dueling will get you nowhere and fighting like an animal will be all you have."

He threw back whatever was left in Moony's glass on the table and sat there, brooding silently for a moment, staring off at the band. Remus danced by with the brunette and threw them a worried glance.

Sirius turned back to Artemis, and watched her speculatively, as if he wasn't sure what to say next. He closed his eyes, let out a breath, and decided to (maybe literally) throw himself to the wolf. "Remus fancies you," he blurted out.

Artemis turned to stare at him. Sirius didn't think he'd ever seen such wide eyes. He hurried to say the rest before she could talk. "I bring the mirror down when he's dealing with his furry little problem…when he has to be locked in. I knew after the first night that you didn't sleep when it was a full moon. After I found the mirror and could see what you were doing, I brought it down to him to watch. Artemis, it comforted him so much. He knew you cared about him. He knew you were strong enough to handle him and weren't afraid. Kitten, we don't think less of you because of it, we think more of you."

And for the second time that night, all Artemis could do was breathe out a little. "Oh."

The music stopped and moments later Remus returned, looking worriedly back and forth between the two at the table. Sirius gave him a guilty smile, mumbled something about getting another drink, and practically ran for the bar. Artemis met his gaze briefly, then looked away. She might have been blushing, but it was hard to tell in this light.

"Um, I'm sorry our dance ended that way," Remus began.

"It's my fault," she interrupted. "I was ashamed you'd seen…what you saw…and I didn't know quite what to do."

Remus scooted his chair closer to hers. "Why should be you ashamed?" he asked softly.

Artemis sighed. "You asked me once what I wasn't good at and I said dueling and you laughed. But it's true. I'm reasonably ok, but I've never gotten the best of someone in a fight with just my wand. I always have to resort to using my animagus form, and the Aurors at work put me down because of it, and grumbled about working with me."

Remus frowned. "I sincerely hope you know that neither Sirius nor I could ever think that. Becoming an animagus requires wordless, wandless magic. Sound more like they were envious, really."

Artemis smiled half-heartedly. "Hmm…maybe. I hadn't thought about it like that." She leaned against the table and rested her chin in her hand. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, looking away over the crowd.

"I wouldn't mind trying another dance," Artemis said suddenly. "You're really quite good."

Remus twitched his lips into a half smile, and he held out his hand to her. She let him lead her on to the floor as the band began to play _Moonlight Serenade_.

As he pulled her close to him and placed his hand firmly on the small of her back Artemis found herself face to face with the little hollow of his neck. Merlin, he was tall. It would have been awkward to try and lean back to talk to him, so she hesitantly turned her head and rested it on his chest. She took a deep breath to try and relax, and instantly pulled back a little. "You smell funny…not funny bad, just different than you usually smell…not that I spend a lot of time smelling you…I think Kreacher uses a different detergent on Sirius' clothes than I…" Artemis trailed off as if she had just realized what she saying, and buried her face in his chest again. "Never mind," she mumbled.

Remus laughed softly, a comforting rumble against her cheek. "This is Sirius' shirt. I expect that's it." They danced in silence for a while. Artemis' thoughts were racing around her head, trying to make sense of what Sirius had said and her own feelings. She did care for Remus, certainly more than she should. Now Sirius said Remus felt the same way. But she hadn't seen any indication of that had she? He was simply a kind person, if a little aloof. Actually Sirius was far more affectionate than Remus was. Suddenly the truth hit her and she felt a little sick. He wasn't ever going to do anything about any feelings he had for anyone. Remus had sentenced himself to a life alone because he didn't believe any woman would ever willingly subject herself to life as an outcast with a husband who would always struggle to find people willing to employ him. Here she'd been thinking life for him in Britain was so much easier than it would have been in America, but that wasn't his reality.

Remus's own thoughts were in a similar tumult. He didn't really want to keep pushing her away, but he wasn't willing to risk everything. How far was he planning to let this go before he had to pull away from her like he always did with women who got to close? Not that there'd been numerous conquests. It just seemed to make more sense to end things before they ever found out about his condition and save himself the heartache. But Artemis already knew all about that, knew from the moment she'd met him. Merlin, he wanted her, but it was just a ridiculous fantasy. And she didn't treat him any differently than she treated anyone else. She was bubbly and affectionate with everyone. She didn't particularly act like she was interested…although there were those few looks…and sometimes right before a full moon he thought he could scent…something more. Remus sighed and inhaled the vanilla fragrance of her hair. It evoked for him the soft feel and smell of her fur as her lion had curled up beside the werewolf last month. The days of the full moons it seemed to him like vanilla permeated the whole house, that scent that meant _her._ And how funny that she associated a scent with him too, the laundry detergent. _Wait…what had she said?_

"Artemis," she heard him rumble through her cheek again. "Have you been the one washing and mending my laundry?"

She stumbled on the next dance step, and he pulled her a little closer to keep her from tripping. "Oh…um… well…the thing is Kreacher would sort of destroy your things on purpose… and I didn't want you to feel bad that he wouldn't help because of his prejudice…and I didn't want Sirius to get mad at him…"

"But that's been months of work. Why would you…?"

Artemis stopped dancing and pulled away from him, Remus looked down at her, confused. Not pausing to think, she grabbed his collar and pulled him towards her. Remus froze as her lips pressed to his. So…maybe she was interested in more. His heart was pounding and heat coursed through his body as he instinctively wrapped his arms around her. She was soft and warm and he tasted the lime from her cocktail. He wanted so badly to lose himself in her kiss, to forget what he was and where she was from and how the world was slowly falling to pieces around them, but…he just couldn't. Remus reluctantly pushed Artemis away from him. She stepped back and looked up into his eyes, seeing regret and sadness flash in them before a steely resolve took their place.

"Happy birthday?" she said cautiously.

He silently took her back in his arms and finished the dance, but his touch was a little more formal and hesitant than before. When the music stopped, he walked her back to the table, and pulled out the chair for her. He took the next seat, but kept himself a little apart. "I hope you understand," he began softly. "This isn't about you. I'm afraid there can be no possibility of any…romantic attachment. I only recently have found steady employment. I couldn't afford the Wolfsbane potion without Dumbledore's influence. I can't pretend I'm not dangerous, even for an animagus. Subjecting you to life as an…an outcast and risking transmitting this…condition to children would be the height of irresponsibility."

Artemis wasn't exactly surprised by his words, since she'd assumed that was what his thoughts were. But it felt a little like she'd been scolded. And it hurt that he wasn't even bothering to try and tell her whether or not he'd even considered the possibility. Thankfully, Sirius came to her rescue and kept her dancing for the next hour. They finally made their way home, trying as hard as anything to pretend that things were fine.

* * *

It was getting pretty late in the morning and they still hadn't come down to breakfast, so Artemis climbed the stairs to at least see if either of them was awake. She hesitated outside the door of Sirius' studio, the voices inside were raised and angry. Well, Sirius sounded angry. Remus sounded annoyed and defeated.

"Why do you keep fighting this?" _Sirius is pacing, probably waving his hands around too._

"It's too risky." _Ah, Remus. Always trying to stay calm._

"But what's life without a little risk?" _Wow. You can actually hear the smirk on his face. Cocky, cocky, cocky._

"It's not a risk I'm willing to take! Sentencing children to a lifetime of pain and ridicule?" _Now he sounds a little worked up._

"Remus, you can't know that. And we're not even talking about children. We're talking about being with a woman who happens to care about you." _Ah. They're talking about me. Lovely. Now all of a sudden Sirius is being, well…serious._

"It was one kiss, Sirius." _Ouch. Well, I guess he's right, but…I can't say I hadn't hoped…_

"Are you blind as well as foolish? Besides, you were the one who jumped to the idea of children." _Oh…children …our children._

"Damn it, Sirius. I can't do this. It was self-indulgent to consider the idea and I have regretted it very much ever since. What that old woman said…" _So at least he has considered it._

"Oh, bloody hell! One old witch claiming to be a Seer would have you throw away happiness? That prophecy was vague enough to mean anything." _Sheesh, a Seer._

"Sirius you are being melodramatic. I am not throwing away happiness. I am choosing to not pursue a fleeting fancy that could end badly for everyone." _Fleeting fancy? I'm a little past fleeting fancy myself._

"Oh please, Moony. Fleeting means we would have had this conversation months ago. Fleeting means you would have purposefully snogged her, shagged her if she was interested, and sent her on her way. I've seen the way you look at her and you have been intentionally standoffish to try and convince yourself you weren't really interested, or she wasn't." _Hmm._

"Stop acting like you know me better than I know myself!" _Wow, that was a growl. He's really mad._

"I do know you better than you know yourself, you self-righteous bas—"

Remus threw open the door and stalked out into the hall, only to crash into Artemis. He grabbed her waist to keep her from falling, then immediately dropped his hands and stepped back. "Did you hear that?" His expression kept shifting from cold to sad.

Artemis nodded. Remus looked into her eyes and then tried to look anywhere else as he searched for the words to explain. "I'm sorry. I don't want to be harsh, but…"

"Remus," she tried to smile but didn't quite succeed. "I may not agree, but I understand. I'm…I'm quite willing to be friends. Boundary lines, right? I don't want to…force anything…that you don't…feel," she finished lamely. Remus looked like he wanted to say more, but simply nodded at her stiffly, and ducked into his room.

She went into the studio, standing beside Sirius who was looking out the window. He turned a regretful face to her. "Sorry, Kitten. He's too stubborn for his own good."

Artemis shrugged. "I'm a grownup. I'll try and get over it. What prophecy were you talking about?" she asked, curling up the armchair by the window.

Sirius gave her a funny look and then sighed. "It was some old woman we ran into last year. She said he would have a family someday, and that a woman with raven hair and strange speech would release the werewolves and bring about the end of the world or something."

Artemis frowned. "Oh. Yeah, that doesn't sound good. So he's afraid having a family would mean a family of werewolves…that the lycanthropy can be passed down."

"Yeah," Sirius sighed again. "I don't get it. You kissed him, and he automatically jumped to the idea that the children you had with him were going to usher in this werewolf apocalypse. Why can't he just enjoy the moment?"

"Sirius," Artemis said in a low, solemn voice, staring out the window. "I'm thirty years old. I've had plenty of time to just enjoy the moment. Nowadays if I get to the point of kissing a guy, I've already considered having children with him. I wouldn't waste my time otherwise."

"Oh." He was quiet for a minute, chewing over that idea. "I don't think like that."

Artemis laughed. "I know." She twirled a strand of hair around and around her finger. "Well, I can't say it doesn't sting."

Sirius looked guilty. "If I hadn't said anything you wouldn't have kissed him. I'm sorry, Kitten."

"Well, I can admit it probably would have happened eventually." For the first time Artemis actually looked disappointed. "I lo— care about him. But you can't force someone into a relationship. And let's be honest, I'm far to quirky to be a successful seductress."

Sirius laughed. "That's pathetic. And charmingly true." He ruffled her hair affectionately, and then knelt beside her chair to look her in the eye. "Twenty years ago I would have moved heaven and earth to convince his stubborn arse to give you a chance. But now…I…I've hurt him too much to risk it. In a way he's right. You're here for a job, and we can't know how all this is going to play out. My choice would be to live for the moment and never mind the fallout. But that's not his choice, and will probably never be his choice."

"He thinks he's doing it for my own good," Artemis softly echoed Molly's words from several months ago. "I can't fault his intent. Well," she added, standing to her feet, "people get dealt a bad hand all the time. I'll live. Plus I promised him I would stay and fight. Might as well start fighting my own emotions."

Sirius looked at her curiously.

"What?" she asked.

Sirius shook his head. "I was just reminded how little time I've actually spent interacting with reasonable and mature adults. I think I might still have some growing up to do."

Artemis snorted and grabbed his hand. "Don't sell yourself short, Padfoot. If I turn out half as resilient and brave as you I would count myself lucky. Let's have some breakfast," said as she pulled him to the door.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 ~ April, 1996

"How were your holidays, Harry?" Hermione asked as she spread butter on a warm dinner roll. The Great Hall was lively with conversations after the two-week Easter break, and she had to raise her voice a little for him to hear her across the table.

"Pretty good," he shrugged. "Nice to not worry about old Toad-Face. And it was brilliant getting to spend the whole two weeks with Sirius. He got ahold of some Polyjuice Potion and took me round to a lot of the places he'd been with my dad. But being at the house was a little tense. Artemis looked like she wanted to yell at Sirius half the time and I barely saw Remus at all. I reckon they had a quarrel of some kind."

"Oh, Sirius probably meddled – told Artemis how Remus felt about her," Hermione said, nodding.

Harry drew his brows together and tilted his head at her. "I thought Remus liked her well enough. Why would he not want her and Sirius to be together?"

Hermione paused before her next bite and studied Harry, before rolling her eyes and muttering something about boys being completely oblivious. Harry looked at Ron, but he seemed just as puzzled. As she finished chewing and took a sip of her pumpkin juice, Hermione turned to Harry and pointed her fork at him like she was preparing to deliver a lecture. "Harry, Sirius and Artemis aren't together."

"Hermione," said Harry, sounding just a little bit condescending, "maybe they aren't officially together, but things are clearly headed that way. She's always holding his hand and rubbing his shoulder. And she went a bit barmy when Snape was being such a git to him after Christmas."

Hermione shook her head stubbornly. "I saw Remus and Artemis talking after we opened presents Christmas morning. He was looking at her like…" Hermione's voice dropped off and she blushed a little, inadvertently glancing toward Ron beside her.

Ron raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Looked at her like what?"

"Well, it was just a very romantic moment," she said, clearing her throat. "If they'd known I was there I'm sure Professor Lupin would have been mortified. And then I talked with Sirius about it afterwards. Remus has fallen in love with her, or is close to it, and Sirius was trying to help things along. He probably meddled and Artemis was annoyed with him and Professor Lupin was embarrassed."

Harry frowned as he turned that over in his mind. He was a little…disappointed? Artemis was sort of like Mrs. Weasley, warm, friendly, always plying him with food, but a little more lighthearted. He'd thought she was kind of perfect for Sirius, making his house better, being affectionate and teasing him all the time. "Well…it would be too bad if Remus and Artemis got together and left Sirius all alone again," he said finally.

Hermione smiled at him understandingly. "I wouldn't worry about him, mate," said Ron seriously. "I don't think Lupin or Artemis would abandon him any more than Hermione or I would you."

Hermione looked at him in surprise. "What?" huffed Ron, turning pink under her gaze.

Hermione smiled. "I'm just impressed. That shows the emotional range of at least a tablespoon," she said lightly, nudging him with her shoulder.

"Oh, shut up," Ron muttered, his cheeks glowing.

* * *

Awkward. The word that has been used for decades to describe the behavior between two people who shared a confession that one or both of them regretted. Artemis rolled the word around her tongue. It even felt and sounded like its meaning – _aawwkkwwaarrdd_. And she was trying so hard to make things normal and natural, like they'd been before. Truly she felt like Remus was the problem, he acted like he felt worse about the situation than she did.

Throwing a dagger at the dueling dummy, Artemis ducked behind a chair to avoid a spell. _If I'm able to so obviously declare my interest, accept the rejection, and move on, surely he can. And he doesn't even love me the way I love him…Oh…that's unfortunate. Now that I've declared that in my mind I have to admit it to myself… Yikes!_ Rolling out of the way of one hex, she was caught by another and slammed backwards into the oven door. Letting out a frustrated growl, the mountain lion that was Artemis leapt onto the dummy and bit its wand arm off. Her duel for the night over, Artemis transformed back and began cleaning up the room. Her shoulder ached from where she'd hit the oven, and as soon as she could, a charmed ice pack was hovering there. Artemis waffled back and forth between the firewhiskey or a cup of tea for a bit, before deciding to go with the tea. Remus and Sirius were sequestered in Remus' room for the full moon, and that was clearly not where she needed to be. There was something vulnerable and intimate about that time when, as animals, they were limited to more physical means of communication. Remus looked positively panicked when Sirius asked her if she was coming with them, and she didn't blame him. It was far too easy to imagine the comfort of curling up together… _boundaries, Scamander, boundaries._

Artemis had spent days focusing on anything about him that was annoying or frustrating to try and convince herself she shouldn't love him. That was not nearly as effective as she'd assumed it would be. Apparently love renders those annoyances manageable, if not invisible. Sirius, however, seemed to become more obnoxious by the day, and Artemis found herself apologizing more than once for snapping at him. And then he'd just look at her with fondness and a hint of pity, and Artemis didn't know if she should hug him or punch him.

She hadn't really expected love to be like this, this pulling away and setting up walls to protect the person you loved from yourself. If she honestly loved him then she wanted to do what was best for him, and so that meant playing the part of a sister, a mom, a friend – like she had in the beginning. And of course Remus thought he was doing the same thing, not dangling the possibility of there being something more when he truly believed it was wrong to try to be in a romantic relationship. She'd briefly toyed with the idea of continually throwing herself at him to make him see how determined she was to not let him go, but then decided he was stubborn and self-sacrificing enough to hold out against her and it would just make him feel that much worse about it. Artemis sighed and pulled out some parchment and a ball-point pen, she might as well put some notes together for work. Voldemort seemed to be after some prophecy at the Department of Mysteries. Two Ministry employees had been involved somehow, but one of them was claiming to have been under the _Imperius_ Curse. The other had been carted off babbling incoherently after running into some protective spells surrounding the prophecy. Artemis scribbled across the parchment, outlining what she knew and what was suspected, pausing periodically to yawn. Maybe it was silly to stay up all night just because it was a full moon, but she'd been doing it for so many years now, first to keep Apollo company, then because she missed him and felt bad for all the other lycanthropes out there in the world dealing with the pain and loneliness, and now for Remus.

* * *

Remus' foot bumped an empty bottle in the alleyway and he froze for a moment at the clatter, his eyes peering into the darkness. It was only two days since the full moon, and he was still feeling a bit out of sorts. The two Death Eaters he and Tonks had been tracking didn't pause or look behind them, so they continued on silently. Arriving at the ramshackle building in the East End of London, Tonks and Remus crept around the back of the warehouse until they found an open window. Tonks hoisted herself up and peeked over the frame briefly before dropping back down.

"I count six, doesn't look like Moldy-Voldy's there with them," she whispered. "Try and keep it up among the rafters, it should be dark enough."

Remus nodded and dug into his pocket. Pulling out one of Fred and George's Extendable Ears, he levitated it through the window and up into the rafters until they could hear the conversation clearly. Tonks cast a couple charms around them to keep them silent and invisible to anyone who might happen by.

" _How are you going to remedy this?!" hissed a voice._

"Malfoy," murmured Remus, gritting his teeth.

" _It's already taken care of," replied a bored voice. "I've sent him a little plant to wish him a speedy recovery."_

"Albert Runcorn," whispered Tonks. "He must be talking about Broderick Bode. He was the one who tripped the defenses on the prophecy – wound up in St. Mungo's."

" _You have failed twice now, Lucius," a raspy female voice interjected. "The Dark Lord will not suffer fools for long, and it would be a pity to leave Cissy a widow and expect young Draco to take your place too soon."_

"Charming Aunty Bellatrix," muttered Tonks sarcastically. Remus frowned. They'd known Lucius was in deep, but how heavily was Draco involved? Surely Dumbledore was keeping a close watch on the boy that Harry came into contact with on a regular basis.

" _You needn't worry your sadistic head about such things, Bellatrix," sneered Lucius. "Draco has informed me that the Potter boy was waxing sentimental over his Easter holidays with your wayward cousin. The Dark Lord is working on a plan to use those sentiments against him…what is that?!"_

"Oops, I think we've been made," said Tonks, as the other end of the Extendable Ear was yanked from her hand. Grabbing Remus' arm, she apparated them away to an alleyway outside a pub in Notting Hill. "Well," she said, "what do you think that was all about?"

Remus shook his head. "They're planning to use Sirius to get to Harry somehow."

"Let's get a drink," Tonks suggested amiably. "I want your opinion on something."

Remus was surprised, but nodded in agreement and held the door open for her. Truth be told he wasn't in any hurry to get back home. Artemis was clearly trying to make things as light and friendly as possible, and it only reminded him of why he fell for her in the first place.

The Muggle pub was dingy and old, with a single patron leaning against the end of the bar, watching a football match on the television. Tonks ambled up to the bar, almost falling into it as her foot caught a chair leg. She grinned ruefully at the bartender. "I'll take a pint of your house draught and a double bourbon on the rocks," she said cheerfully, running a hand through her short pink hair. Grabbing the two drinks, she joined Remus at a table, sliding the bourbon over to him.

"Ice?" he questioned.

"I hear that's how they drink it in America. I figured you should get to know some of her customs," she answered cheekily.

Remus rolled his eyes at her and muttered something uncomplimentary as he sipped the drink. Tonks grinned unrepentantly. "Aren't you two together yet? You spend most of the Order meetings watching her like you just came through a desert and she's a tall glass of water."

Remus flushed and glared down at his drink. "You're being rather impertinent _Nymphadora_ ," he said, drawing out her name.

Tonks glared at him, her hair unconsciously darkening to a deep red, before returning to the normal bright pink. She glanced toward the bar, but the other two men were still focused on the football match. "Don't call me that," she mumbled in a low voice. "Besides, you're deflecting. If you don't want to talk about it, just say so."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Fine. Did you know Molly invited me to dinner three times this week, and Sirius told me she only invited Artemis and you lads once? I know she's not thrilled about Bill's relationship with Fleur, but why she keeps throwing me at him I don't know. Charlie and I were friends at school, but I didn't really know Bill. I'm not sure he's my type anyway. I mean, I wouldn't pick me over Fleur I don't think. Unless you were going for someone silly and didn't mind the constant bruises from me tripping all over creation. I think I've got a good sense of humor, and I'm attractive enough, but I certainly don't have that Veela thing going on…"

Tired and still a little annoyed at how obvious people seemed to find his attraction to Artemis, Remus tuned Tonks out as she rambled on, nursing his drink and letting his mind wander over how the dark-haired American witch managed to get under his skin so easily. " _Surely this is just a product of our unorthodox living arrangements. If Artemis wasn't the only woman I saw on a daily basis, she wouldn't seem so appealing. No, that's a lie. Even Snape responded to her magnetism in his own frigid way, and he only sees her once or twice a month. She probably would have broken him eventually if he saw her every morning as I do,"_ he thought with a smirk. _"The way that one pair of her pajamas are too big and slip off her shoulder a little, or the way her red jumper sometimes pulls up when she's reaching for something in a cupboard…Argh! Come on, Lupin! You aren't some hormone riddled teenage boy. Besides this would be much simpler if it was just physical attraction. You know that's not the reason you spend far more time than is necessary or morally acceptable watching her in the mirror when she's unaware of it._

Remus sighed to himself, swirling the amber liquid around the glass. _It's also the way her eyes crinkle up when she smiles, and how she starts laughing to herself before she says some new pun she's thought up. The fact that she stays up all night when it's a full moon baking chocolate muffins makes me feel like there's a damn hot water bottle in my stomach. How can someone be so fierce and so soppy all at the same time? She fights like a wildcat with or without her wand, takes up for Sirius, doesn't flinch in the presence of a werewolf … flings soap bubbles around the room to make herself feet better, cries when she tells the story of Arthur and Molly singing karaoke, and puts too much syrup on her pancakes. I really wish she'd never come here. No, I don't. I wish she'd just be transferred back to the States already. No, I don't. I wish…I wish I were safe. I wish I wasn't a werewolf._

"Besides, I've always kinda liked my men like I take my tea – hot, black and strong!" Tonks' words and light laughter finally filtered into his consciousness as his glass slammed back down on to the table a little too hard. Tonks' eyes widened in surprise. "So, you think it's a dumb idea, then?" she said tentatively, her hair taking on a slight purple tinge.

Remus looked at her in bewilderment until he realized he'd missed most of the conversation. "Merlin, I'm sorry Tonks. I was just wool-gathering there for a minute. What was it you wanted my opinion on?"

Tonks looked down at the table a little embarrassed. "I was thinking about asking Kingsley out to dinner…you know, like a date?"

Remus' eyes widened. That was…unexpected. Maybe. Was it? Kingsley appeared more serious than Tonks, but they both had a bit of a romantic streak. Kingsley was certainly poetic enough about their fight against darkness, and Tonks was vivacious and rather pretty. It was sort of like a medieval story…a woodland sprite becoming infatuated with a valiant knight... Oh what in the world was he on about? Who was he to be giving relationship advice?

"Umm, I guess it never hurts to ask," Remus answered slowly.

"You don't think he'll laugh at me?" she said quietly.

Remus shook his head. "No, I don't think he'll laugh. But what in the world made you think I would be the one to ask for advice on dating?"

"Because you pay attention to people and you know how to mind your own business," Tonks said bluntly.

"Oh," he said lamely. "Good luck with that, then."

Tonks laughed and shook her head. "Lupin, why are you holding out on her? I'm surprised Artemis has been able to put up with all the angst-ridden glances for this long."

Remus shot her an exasperated look. "Oh, yes? And how would you handle things?"

Tonks shrugged. "I'm a descendant of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. There would be some heavy manipulation and whiney entitlement involved. Also guilt and shame. And then I'd probably trip, but that's more the Tonks Family side."

Letting out a small disbelieving laugh, Remus shook his head. He drained the rest of his bourbon and stared off into the distance. "Listen, Tonks, you're an Auror," he said soberly. "Surely you understand. I'm classified as a Dark Creature. A XXXX Magical Beast. If anyone else just started firing off killing curses once a month they'd be locked up in Azkaban for good, if not given straight over to the Dementors. And once a month that is what I become – a murderous, rampaging psychopath."

Tonks frowned at the dismal tone of his voice. "Remus, that's not who you truly are."

"But it is. At the very least if another person claimed that some other force took control of their body and made them do horrible things against their will, they'd be placed under supervision at St. Mungo's," Remus said ruefully. "Is it better to be considered a criminal or just criminally insane if people are hurt either way?"

"I…I hadn't thought about it like that. That isn't the man I know…You aren't like that…" Tonks stuttered helplessly.

"You've never seen or been around me during a transformation. You can't really know. If you were there when I was in my _beast form_ ," he said grimly, "you would be bound by your oath as an Auror to kill me."

"But you have the Wolfsbane Potion?"

"For now. But I don't know how long Snape will continue to prepare it for me, and it's very expensive. I can't assume that it will always be available."

She frowned silently, pondering his words. For the first time she saw things from his perspective, and it was heartbreaking. She was a Black, well half a Black anyway, and this type of self-sacrifice was not part of their character. Could she go out in a blaze of glory defending something she believed in? Yes, absolutely. Could she stuff down her own desires and live quietly alone to protect people from herself when they didn't recognize they needed protecting? She didn't think she could do that.

"I'm sorry," she finally said. "I grew up with a mother who threw over everything for love. Deep down I kinda believe that love conquers all, and love is all you need, and all that other stuff, because that's what I grew up on. But I sort of understand where you're coming from now, and I'm sorry for not taking it seriously."

"Thank you," said Remus softly.

"Have you, you know, tried explaining things that way to Artemis?" Tonks asked hesitantly.

Remus shrugged, his face suddenly blank, as he stared off at the wall behind her. "Perhaps not in so many words," he said reluctantly. "I'm not sure she'd listen. She's seen what _my kind_ is capable of first hand, and she still treats the condition with empathy rather than caution. And part of me doesn't really want to push her away," he added in a low voice, barely above a whisper.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 ~ May, 1996

It was the pounding headache that woke Artemis. She opened her eyes experimentally, then immediately closed them again. Merlin, it was bright in here. How late did she sleep? Her room wasn't usually this bright. She forced herself to crack one eye open again and tried to peer at the bedside clock. But it wasn't there. Instead of her nightstand and clock there was a chair. Who moved that? The chair was supposed to be on the other side. She begrudgingly opened both eyes and then might have forgotten to breathe for the next minute. This wasn't her room.

She cringed at the sound of a light snore beside her, and very reluctantly turned her head. _Oh no. No. No. No. No. Oh Merlin, what in the name of Morrigan have you done?! Ok, breathe. He's still asleep. Maybe you can sneak out._

Artemis very, very stealthily shifted over to the edge of the bed and tried to slide out without bouncing the mattress or shifting the covers. Crouching down beside the bed she gathered up her clothes and tiptoed to the door. A rustle made her freeze in her tracks and slowly turn back toward the bed. But he had just rolled over and buried his face in the pillow. She felt a tender tug in her heart watching him, and she wasn't going to deny a part of her wanted to climb right back in that bed and tuck herself up next to him… _Shut up. Shut up brain! I have to get out of here. Ok, calm down. Breathe. Just quietly leave the room. Oh, holy hippogriff, please don't wake up._

Artemis successfully opened the door and slipped into the hallway. Silently closing the door, she turned and found herself face to face with a self-satisfied smirk. "Morning," Sirius chirped.

Artemis belatedly realized in her haste to leave the room she hadn't actually put any of her clothes back on and now just held the crumpled items against herself. "I was…um…heading to the shower…"

Sirius was grinning unrepentantly. "Absolutely. It saves so much time undressing before you get in the bathroom."

"Yeah…well…can you move out of the way, please?"

Sirius chuckled and turned to head downstairs. "Don't be too embarrassed. I cast a silencing charm on the room last night. Never heard a thing."

Artemis' face was scarlet as she dashed into the bathroom and ran a steaming shower. She was so mortified she thought for a moment she might throw up. _Get a grip, Scamander. Just think. Maybe you passed out and nothing happened._ She frantically tried to remember. Sirius had convinced them to go to the karaoke bar again. She drank more than she usually did, but she was trying to have fun. They were being so silly. It was the first time in weeks that things hadn't felt tense between her and Remus, and she'd finally felt like she could maybe be his friend again. Then they'd come home and were playfully arguing about which school was better. Someone had suggested a drinking game to settle the issue. Remus had sung the Hogwarts school song very loudly. And then…nothing. _Blast._

She finished her shower and wrapped herself in her bathrobe. Once again gathering up her clothes from last night she finally made her way to her own room. Dumping the clothes into the laundry basket, she sank into a chair and allowed herself exactly two minutes of tears. Her fingers trailed lightly over the star on her collarbone, now almost completely obscured by a love bite. She couldn't remember anything, but the bruise and a rather discernable ache was telling its own story, which was a little terrifying. Someday she'd thought… hoped… But instead they'd…what? She didn't even really know, and it felt like she'd lost something she couldn't get back. Merlin, she couldn't even form a coherent thought. Artemis slowly pulled on on a pair of pajama bottoms and her old sweatshirt and made her way downstairs.

Sirius was alone in the kitchen, for which Artemis felt a pang of gratitude. At least she could put off facing Remus for another moment. He'd made tea and set out some cinnamon rolls from the day before, and was just sitting there, clearly waiting for them. The teasing remark Sirius had prepared died on his lips as he saw Artemis' face. Instead he poured her a cup and tea, handed her a vial of hangover potion, and sat with her in silence for several minutes.

"So I don't remember anything that happened after someone suggested a drinking game to settle which school was better." Artemis finally said. "What happened?"

Sirius exhaled slowly. _Bother._ He'd been excited that the two people he cared so much about had finally acknowledged their feelings for one another. Albeit, the moment had been fueled by too much Muggle alcohol, but he knew the sentiments were still there.

He cleared his throat and took another sip of his tea. "Well, you were actually the one who suggested the game. We each had to say a fact about the school and then pick the best one. The other two would take a shot. It kind of ended when it got to who had the best school song. Remus sang ours…horribly."

Artemis nodded, expressionless. "I remember that, but everything afterwards is a blank."

"I was making fun of him, and you said to hush, that it was cute." Sirius' voice had dropped and he was speaking so low she had to lean forward to hear the next part. "And then you…smiled at him,"

Artemis raised her eyebrows. "I smiled…that's it?"

Sirius looked up at her and groaned and rolled his eyes. "Merlin, you women! Do you have any idea how you look at men? You…well when women are attracted to someone you just…argh…it's like the man you're looking at is the bravest warrior, the cheekiest little boy and the most romantic lover you've ever met all at once. Those kind of looks are what launched a thousand ships to Troy, they're what men take with them into battle…a man is pretty much willing to do anything to earn a smile like that…I mean, when Marlene would look at me like that…"

His rant trailed off and Artemis was staring at him in stunned silence. "Anyway…" he said gruffly, "You smiled, he smiled, and I left the room and went to bed."

"Wait…you what?"

Sirius shrugged. "Woman, you're both adults! I left. I cast the silencing charm on the kitchen and both your rooms on my way upstairs, just in case, and slept like a baby. I didn't know anything about anything that happened until I saw you in the hall this morning."

"Arghhhhhh," Artemis covered her face with her hands. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I guess you'll have to wait and see what Moony remembers when he wakes up."

"Not if I run away first. I'm sure they'll take witches in the French Foreign Legion."

"The Ministry made the French disband the Foreign Legion for that very reason. And if you break my werewolf's heart I will end you."

"Damn it, Sirius!" Artemis hissed. "I don't get drunk and fall into bed with a man."

"Hey, Kitten," Sirius said, taking her hands in his. "I know that. Pretty sure it's a first for Moony too. He's more 'do something deliberately or not at all.' You really love him, don't you?"

"Yes," she whispered, looking down at the table and not noticing the huge smile on Sirius' face.

"Brilliant. And once he gets over recriminating himself for taking advantage of you while you were drunk, he will be ready to hear that."

"No, he won't," she said bluntly. "Sirius, he's already made it perfectly clear that it doesn't matter how he feels, he refuses to pursue any kind of a romantic relationship. He will think this was a colossal mistake, feel guilty about it, blame himself, offer to move out, and mope around like some kind of martyr…" Artemis shoved her chair back and left the kitchen.

Sirius poured himself another cup of tea and tried to determine what, if anything, he could do or say to finally get these two idiots together. He heard Remus coming down the stairs, and set a second vial of hangover potion by his plate. Remus was humming a little as he came in. "Morning," he said as he sank into his chair and grabbed a cinnamon roll.

"How'd you sleep, Moony?"

"Best sleep I'd had in a while, actually. Maybe I need to drink myself into oblivion more often," Remus laughed.

Sirius snorted. "Not at all recommended. What do you remember about last night?"

Remus shrugged. "It's not entirely clear what happened after we left the bar. But we made it home, and I don't really feel hungover, so it couldn't have been that bad, right?"

Sirius was stumped on how exactly to answer that. Remus not knowing that he'd shagged the woman he loved but refused to admit he loved was…bad? Good? Probably bad. He briefly wondered how that character from Hermione's book would handle this situation. "You gave a very memorable performance of the Hogwarts school song."

"Ah…well, don't remember that bit," Remus said with a sheepish smile. "Is that it?"

Twenty years ago, the wicked gleam in Sirius' eyes would have told Remus a detention was in his future. But Remus was preoccupied getting up to make another pot of tea and missed it. Sirius cleared his throat significantly and said, "Well…now I'm not one to gossip, but you and Kitten made some very enlightening remarks under the influence last night."

Sirius was intentionally not looking at him, but he could hear Remus' movements pause. "Sirius I would prefer that you not meddle. But if I said or did anything for which I would need to apologize to Artemis, please tell me. I've tried to be very clear with her regarding the impossibility of…of any romantic attachment, and I would hate to have inadvertently misled her."

"Are you sure you would have been misleading her? I personally am of the opinion that a little alcohol-induced truth telling is very cathartic. And all this pretending that you don't care for her is only hurting both of you. You are deliberately putting up barriers to your own happiness."

Remus tapped the kettle, which began to whistle, and then poured the water into the pot. "No, Sirius, I'm being realistic."

 _Oh, there it is. That's his very pleasant calm voice, hiding the fact that he's furious and trying to keep himself from punching me in the nose._

"How many times do I have to say this?" Remus continued. "I can barely hold down a job. Without Dumbledore forcing Snape to prepare the Wolfsbane potion I wouldn't be able to afford the ingredients. How long do you think that arrangement will last? And without the potion I am too dangerous. And there's no way to know if this condition can be passed down father to child. I refuse to indulge the fantasy of having a wife and family. That would be truly hurtful, no matter if I might lo– " his voice trailed off as he realized what he'd almost said.

Sirius slowly stood and moved toward the door, grinning triumphantly. He could maybe get a few more sentences in before Remus snapped, so they'd better be good ones. "And what if you'd told her that you loved her and had been a fool behaving as if you didn't? What if she'd sworn her undying devotion and promised never to leave you? And what if you'd carried her away to ravish her senseless only to wake this morning and not remember any of it?"

Remus had gone pale. "Is that…is that what happened?" he croaked.

"I went to bed and left you two mooning over each other in the kitchen. Pun intended. I guess you'll have to talk to her and see if she remembers anything," Sirius said teasingly as he ducked out of the room.


	21. Chapter 21

Author's Note ** This is where my intention of a fluffy story took off into completely different direction. But I think you'll find the conclusion (we're about halfway there) pretty satisfying if you stick with me. Don't forget about the prophecy! And whatever happened to Lina?

* * *

Chapter 21 ~ May, 1996

Sirius' intent was to stir up enough innuendo that they would be forced to talk about everything. He realized later this might have been what the Sorting Hat meant when it told him he had the ambition of a Slytherin, but not necessarily the cunning. The next few days were back to the awkward tip-toeing around each other. He suggested Remus see if his pillow smelt of vanilla, but Artemis had already asked Kreacher to help her change all the bed linens. He tried teasing Artemis at meals so Remus would step in and defend her, but Artemis started preparing the food ahead of time and charming it all to stay hot so she didn't have to be there for meals.

At last he'd had enough. "You have to talk to him, this is ridiculous," Sirius whispered at her, after cornering her in the hallway.

"I don't want to talk to him. He doesn't know anything happened!"

"He knows something happened because you're avoiding him! Quite frankly you're both being idiotic. You two love each other, so how is what happened such a terrible thing? And may I remind you that this is my house and right now you are making my life quite uncomfortable.

"Ugh, fine. But first I've got to run out and meet up with my Ministry Contact. I should be back in a few hours." Artemis said shrugging on a jacket and tucking her wand in the pocket.

Sirius nodded at her. "Molly's bringing dinner tonight for the Order meeting, so everyone should be here about six o'clock. You figure out how to be a grown-up and tell him tonight or I will tomorrow," he finished with a glare. Artemis made a face at him as she stomped out the front door.

Artemis apparated to a side street near the park where she and Ben had met before. In hindsight, she supposed she should have expected something to be wrong. Ben wasn't alone. Hephzibah Godfrey, their immediate supervisor, was there too with another man Artemis didn't know.

"What's up?" asked Artemis. "Is there something big in the works? My contacts have indicated they're anticipating You-Know-Who will attempt another break-in at the Ministry. Apparently there's a prophecy in the Department of Mysteries that he's interested in."

"That's not why we're here, Scamander," Godfrey said sharply. "We've just come into some information that you apparently failed to provide when your brother went missing. Does a werewolf, a murder, a suicide and a cover up ring any bells?"

Artemis was utterly speechless. She swallowed hard and glanced over at Ben. He was watching her closely, hopefully, clearly wanting her to deny it. But her expression and silence confirmed what he'd feared. Ben's face flashed from stunned to saddened to angry, and he moved a step away from her.

"Right," Godfrey spoke briskly. "Thompson here will obliviate your classified cases, then you will turn in your wand and return to the United States with me to stand trial. You were useful enough when you worked with your brother, but I should have suspected something. You only applied when his work started to become erratic. You must have been covering for him after he was infected, correct?"

Artemis could only nod dumbly, hardly hearing as Godfrey continued to berate her. "Honestly, Scamander. I don't really know why you came back to work for MCUSA. Surely you didn't expect to jump right in with so much controversy surrounding you two?" Artemis was now vaguely aware that the three of them had her somewhat surrounded, and the man called Thomson was drawing his wand.

 _Were they going to do this here in a public park?!_ Artemis looked wildly around, but for some reason the park was completely empty. Her heart was racing as she went hot and then cold. The magic fairly thrummed around her. Her ears felt clogged, and she barely registered Thompson's " _Obliviate_ ," before she darted to the side, pushing Ben out of the way and disapparating as she felt the spell hit.

Artemis appeared suddenly in the toilet stall of a tube station. She didn't remember ever being here, but who knew what was now missing from her memories? She felt shaky and feverish, as she leaned her forehead against the cold tile wall. She took several deep breaths.

"You alright, love?" asked an older, heavyset woman who had just exited another stall and went to the sink, her face creased in concern and compassion.

"Umm…yeah, thanks," croaked Artemis, her mouth dry, "I just feel a little sick."

The woman finished washing her hands, and then dug around in her purse. "Have a sweetie, dear," she offered, holding out a round striped peppermint candy. Artemis meekly accepted it, trying to smile.

"Can you tell me what station this is?" she asked hesitantly, "I got a little mixed up."

"You're an American, aren't you? Well, this is Paddington. You know, like the bear from the story? Where are you trying to go?"

"Ummm…King's Cross I think? I need to get to Islington High Street." _Was that right? It sounded right. At least if she took No-Maj transportation from here they couldn't track her._

"Well, that's easy enough dear, you can take either the pink or the yellow line from here to King's Cross. Are you feeling any better?"

Artemis nodded experimentally. "Yeah, I am, thanks so much." The woman smiled and patted her arm, as she left the bathroom. Artemis splashed her face with water and dug around in her pockets, heaving a sigh of relief as she found some Muggle money in an inner pocket. She ducked back into the stall and changed her hair to a bright blue, and altered the star tattoos to flowers. Then she bought a ticket for King's Cross station and gratefully slid into an empty seat as she tried to find the gaps in her memory, not totally sure she'd be able to. As the subway car rocked back and forth speeding down the track, Artemis thought back to leaving school and tried to trace the years since then. She remembered teaching at Ilvermorny, and then interviewing with MCUSA, she remembered their first few jobs together, and then things got fuzzy. It felt like static on a No-Maj television set. She remembered in vivid detail the fight where Apollo was bit and the night that Ingrid had died, and then there was more static, just flashes here and there until she arrived in Dumbledore's office. _Thompson, you're very good at obliviating._

Artemis studied the map at King's Cross station. There it was, Angel Station. She'd seen the sign near the karaoke bar, only a few minutes' walk from Sirius' house. She bought another ticket and ducked into the bathroom, this time changing her hair to strawberry blonde, her jacket from black to brown, and fading the tattoos away completely, leaving the white lines and puckered skin of her scars visible. She took her last train, leaning her head back on the seat and closing her eyes against the pounding headache she now had.

She breathed in the fresh air to try and clear her headache and fuzzy thoughts as she walked from the station to Twelve Grimmauld Place, but only succeeded in partially hyperventilating and making herself dizzy. She stumbled up the steps and through the door, promptly fainting as she entered the house.

* * *

Artemis was vaguely aware that she was lying on the drawing room sofa and people were arguing somewhere nearby. As she tried to sit up, her stomach rebelled and she threw up all over the floor.

"There, there dear," came a soft voice. Molly Weasley pressed a cold cloth to her forehead. "You just lie back and rest. I'm sure it was all quite a shock." Artemis tried to ask what was happening, but she felt herself slip back into sleep or another faint, or whatever this dark hole was.

"What do you mean she has to turn herself in! She didn't do anything wrong!" Sirius was outraged, pacing up and down the dining room, his voice raised to the old wizard seated at the table.

"Failing to report a case of lycanthropy is a criminal offense in America," Dumbledore said in his firm, calm voice. "Beyond that she also helped cover up the death of a young woman by a werewolf attack."

"It was an accidental death, not murder," interjected Remus.

"And hopefully that fact will ensure things go in her favor, but in the meantime we must not pervert the course of justice." Dumbledore said.

"Justice?! What is this?!" yelled Sirius, gesturing to himself and the house. "You're helping to hide a convicted felon! How is this any bloody different!"

"You are innocent, Mr. Black. Miss Scamander has admitted she did both of the things of which she is accused. Furthermore, I will not antagonize those in power who may be of some use and influence for us. They are demanding that we produce Miss Scamander, and so we shall. Tomorrow morning she will accompany Ms. Tonks to my office where MCUSA Aurors will be waiting to escort her back." And with that, their old Headmaster was gone.

"Are we all just pawns on a bloody chessboard to him?" muttered Sirius.

Remus nodded, grimly. "Yes, frankly. Sacrifices will have to be made if we hope to defeat Voldemort."

"How can you be so calm?" asked Sirius, sinking down into a chair.

Remus huffed a dark laugh and held out his hands, which were trembling badly. "I was afraid if I said anymore I would tear him to pieces. I'm going to check on her."

As Remus left the dining room, Arthur Weasley, who had sat silently through the exchange pressed a glass of firewhiskey into Sirius' hand. "Don't lose hope, Black. Truth will out. Come, Molly."

Molly patted Sirius on the shoulder. "She's resting now. Try to get her to eat a little when she wakes up. She still looks a bit peaky."

Sirius nodded absently as they left, then made his own way up to Artemis' room. He stood in the doorway as Remus sat by her bedside, brushing her hair back from her face and holding her hand. "How are we going to tell her, Pads? She felt safe here, and now we're forcing her out, turning her over to MCUSA."

"What's it going to take for you to admit that you love her?" Sirius sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Remus froze for the span of a few heartbeats. "This is hardly the appropriate time for this discussion, Sirius. Besides, my feelings are rather inconsequential in light of Dumbledore's decision…in addition to the fact that she's been avoiding me this past week. Whatever happened that night we were drunk has caused her to pull away. And that's probably for the best," he added softly to himself. "She deserves a better bet than I am."

* * *

When Artemis came to again she was in her own bed, the room dark. She peered at the bedside clock to find it was only around nine in the evening. As the events of the day became clear again she started to panic. They couldn't find her here! What if they followed her and Sirius was sent back to prison!? Remus could be arrested for aiding a criminal! Her head was pounding and she was having trouble breathing as she slid out of the bed, made her way to the wardrobe and starting trying to pack her things. She would have to leave right away.

The door opened and Sirius was outlined by the light in the hallway. "What are you doing, Kitten? You're crashing around in here like a hippogriff…Moony, she's awake!" he yelled back down the hall.

Remus appeared behind him. "How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice low and calm.

"I have to leave!" she gasped. "People from MCUSA were trying to arrest me. If they find out I'm here, you'll both be in trouble!"

Sirius grasped her by the arms and hauled her over to the chair. "Kitten, slow down. You need to listen to some things first."

Artemis stared up at him, trembling. Remus was taken aback. She was terrified, but absolutely trusting in whatever they were going to tell her. It never occurred to her that they would be complicit in any of this, that they would be the ones to send her off to an unknown judgement handed down from an impersonal power for a gain of political influence. He felt a little sick thinking back on their first argument, when he'd accused her of indifference, certain she would never get involved in what the rest of world considered an internal British problem. Now she would become a casualty of this conflict as much as any of them had been.

Once Sirius had managed to choke out the words, that Dumbledore was turning her over to MCUSA and she would be leaving in the morning, Artemis took a deep breath and visibly locked away her fear. She simply nodded and resumed packing. Sirius began to help, and after a few choice comments about her sleepwear had her laughing, bless him.

She refused to go back to sleep, insisting on spending the last night in the kitchen. They started with tea and chocolate and ice cream. Then Artemis went into a baking frenzy, promising to at least stock up the pantry with what she could. Both men were averse to leaving her alone, so Sirius sketched as Remus watched her work, pretending to read. They ended the night with a huge breakfast that none of them felt like eating, while Sirius shared as many funny Marauder stories as he could think of, most at Remus' expense. Remus smiled tolerantly and kept interjecting with, "What actually happened was this…"

Finally, just after their last breakfast together, Artemis stood in the hallway, suitcase at her feet. "Tell everyone I said 'bye' will you?" she asked Sirius. Tonks stood uncomfortably near the door, clearly not happy about her assignment.

Sirius nodded and stepped forward to embrace her tightly. "Don't give up hope," he whispered. "You need to come back to us." He pulled away and tried to smile at her. "I'm not sure I can manage Kreacher without you."

Artemis smiled at him, as a few tears escaped. "Thank you, Padfoot. You are a darling man and a dear friend." He hugged her again briefly and then stepped back. She turned to Remus, her heart aching as she drew a shaky breath.

He stepped toward her tentatively, and wrapped his arms around her. She relaxed into his embrace, feeling the steady thump of his heartbeat beneath her cheek. "I love you," she whispered. "And I would have stayed with you forever."

Remus froze as a sense of déjà vu swept over him. Those exact words – her voice sleepy and muffled as he held her against his chest in that dream he'd been trying so hard to forget. At least he'd thought it was a dream. "Artemis…I…" he began, frowning in confusion.

She closed her eyes as Remus pulled away and cupped her face in his hand, brushing a tear with his thumb. She couldn't meet his eyes and risk seeing only sadness and pity there. Allowing herself only a moment more of his touch, she pulled away from him and wiped her eyes. Artemis grabbed up her suitcase and turned to the front door. "Good-bye," she said softly, following Tonks outside and apparating away a moment later.

Sirius sighed. "If you were looking for the opportune moment, mate, that was it."

Remus simply shook his head. "It doesn't matter. It wouldn't have changed anything."

Sirius frowned. "I think it would have mattered to her."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22 ~ June, 1996

Artemis tried to breathe normally as she looked out over the witches and wizards assembled in the courtroom. The trial had lasted for hours, which she thought was pretty ridiculous. Telling the whole story took maybe twenty minutes. But the necessity of repeating it in full or part over and over again infuriated her.

"Miss Scamander, did you willfully neglect to report your brother's case of lycanthropy to the proper authorities when he was infected in the line of duty during the summer of 1987?"

 _I did._

"And did you subsequently obtain a position with MCUSA for the sole purpose of participating in a cover up that would allow your brother to continue working in a trusted government position knowing he was now a danger to his coworkers and any other citizen he might encounter?"

 _He was not a danger to anyone!_

"Please answer the question. Was your purpose in applying for an Auror position to help your brother hide the fact that he was a werewolf?"

 _Yes_

"And did you during the course of your employment falsify paperwork pertaining to cases your brother was working on that coincided with times that he was in his beast form?"

 _I did._

"Your sister, Ingrid, was murdered by your brother on November 10, 1990, while he was in beast form, correct?"

 _It was an accident, not murder!_

"You are fully aware that all deaths by werewolves that occur while they are in beast form constitute murder. You will answer yes or no please."

 _Yes_

"Were you present at the time of her death?"

 _Yes_

"And did you and your brother subsequently conspire to cover up her murder, by burying her quietly and spreading the lie that she had contracted dragon pox?"

 _Yes_

"At any time were your parents cognizant of this conspiracy?"

 _No. They had nothing to do with it._

"Do you, Miss Scamander, in full knowledge of your actions and without coercion, plead guilty to the charges of failure to report a case of lycanthropy, falsification of government documents, destruction of evidence relating to a lycanthropic murder case, and obstruction of justice?"

 _Sigh. I do._

"Then it is the ruling of this court to sentence you thus. You are hereby banned from obtaining any further positions within MCUSA or other government related offices, including Ilvermorny School. You will turn in your wand and be remanded to the Northeastern Werewolf Reservation for a maximum of five years. There you are welcome to live and work as you see fit with the creatures you seem so eager to support."

A strange buzzing sound filled Artemis' ears, as she struggled to make sense of what the judge had said. She faintly heard her mother wailing somewhere in the room. Her father was yelling, and other arguments broke out around the room over the sentencing. A non-lycanthrope had never been sentenced to live on a reservation. Most would consider it tantamount to a death sentence.

She was only vaguely aware of hands, pulling her out of the chair and to her feet. A wand was held against her throat and she was marched toward the exit. They allowed her only a minute or two in the hallway to see her parents. They hugged her tightly, frantically whispering that they would do all they could to change the ruling. Artemis shook her head firmly. "No, focus on Rolf. He's still young. You can't waste the time you have with him trying to change things for me. I'm…I'm so sorry things turned out this way, that you would lose the rest of us. But I don't want him to suffer needlessly for my choices. The scandal is already affecting him, I'm sure." She wasn't able to hear their reply, as the hands again pulled her away down the hall.

Artemis waited briefly in a small office before her suitcase and a money bag were presented to her. A small, thin-lipped wizard with an enormous gray moustache handed her a roll of parchment. "Miss Scamander, you have been assigned Cottage 32A on the Northeastern Werewolf Reservation. Here are your belongings and the approved Galleons for you to set up housekeeping. The parchment includes all the instructions for living on the reservation along with a list of open jobs."

As soon as she tucked the money bag and parchment into the suitcase and picked it up, two Aurors grabbed her and apparated to the reservation. The moment she had taken a breath, they stepped away from her and disapparated, leaving her staring at the door of a small duplex labeled "Cottage 32A." Artemis glanced around. The duplexes each sat in small, neatly manicured yards surrounding a large green park area. A little way off to the north was a larger warehouse looking building. Artemis took a deep breath and walked up to the building, opened the door and entered her new home.

* * *

Lina ambled down the village high street toward the post office. The past two weeks at home had been a nice break, but she was getting antsy again. The quiet afternoon and soft June sun should seem peaceful, but Lina couldn't shake the sensation that time was growing short. And for some reason those Muggle stories from an old Sunday School teacher kept popping into her head – the one where the red dragon battled against the warriors of light, and knights receiving special armor to fight the dark prince. Lina shook her head. She and that Sunday School teacher had never really got on. The woman had seemed to to think fighting darkness meant behaving all the time, and young Lina had never excelled in behaving. But she could sense when the darkness was moving, and she could certainly feel it now – stretching and uncoiling itself, extending tendrils of evil into the most unlikely places. Lina thought back over her last couple jobs. One had been for the Brazilian Ministry of Magic. A coven of vampires had attempted a coup, and the Ministry had hired extra help in hunting down the remaining participants. Then there had been a Muggle job. A couple villages in southeast Asia had been losing their children to human traffickers. Lina allowed a wicked smile to briefly cross her face. The conclusion of that job had been particularly satisfying – to her and the parents at least, not to the traffickers. Evil bastards. But just as quickly a frown replaced the smile. The darkness was moving in Muggle and wizard communities alike. It seemed a completely separate entity from magic, it could make use of the Dark Arts or just move on the hearts of Muggles. Lina shuddered at the feeling.

A small bell chimed as she pushed open the door of the shop and post office. She grabbed a Mars bar off a display and ripped open the paper, taking a huge bite. The chocolate calmed her slightly and she managed a smile at the clerk.

"Nice to see you again, Lina," the woman said, peering at her through a tiny pair of spectacles. She'd always reminded Lina of a little bird, hopping here and there watching everyone warily with tiny black eyes. "We've a few letters for your family today, and one very fancy looking piece. Old fashioned parchment with a scrolling kind of writing. Call that calligraphy don't they? Looks to me like a wedding invitation. Your mum was telling me as how you get to travel all over the world with that job of yours. Some kind of corporate liaison, wasn't it? I'll bet you meet all sorts of fancy men in a job like that. Probably not much for settling down though, are they?"

Lina kept the now slightly stiff smile on her face. "Thank you for our post Mrs. Allen. I hope Mr. Allen is doing well?"

Distracted from her original train of thought, Mrs. Allen launched into a recitation of her ne'er-do-well husband and his many faults. Lina expressed her sympathy and purchased the candy bar, ducking back out the door as quickly as possible. She shoved the other mail into her back pocket and tore open the parchment. All her official post was sent to an anonymous box in London that she checked every few days, and she received very few owls because almost no one knew her real name. Artemis was the only friend who knew her parents' mailing address. Lina went into the churchyard and sat on a bench to read the letter.

 _Lina,_

 _I hope it's ok to send this to your parents. It was the only address I could remember. They found out about my brother – hence the memory problems. I have a favor to ask you. I have some friends in England that need a bit of looking after. They've been on their own for too long, and you know I'm a mother hen. Would you mind checking in on them? Moony and Snuffles. I'll let you figure out which is which. I can't quite remember the address at Grimmauld Place, but check with the gaggle of gingers at The Burrow. I'll be home for the foreseeable future, I would guess. I'm so sorry it's been so long since I've been in touch. I hope you are well little Renarde._

 _Put On A Happy Face,_ _Lionne_

Lina let out a long breath, the puzzle pieces arranging themselves in her brain. Artemis had been arrested and partially obliviated. And in the midst of that she was worried about the job she was leaving. Lina had known she was here for a job, but with her own crazy schedule, they'd never managed to meet up in London. Moony and Snuffles…what in the world? Sounded like pets…maybe kids…Grimmauld Place…Wait a minute. Lina suddenly recalled an apologetic voice saying, _"Your house. Twelve Grimmauld Place."_ Sirius Black. Well that figured. Artemis had probably been stuffing those men full of cinnamon rolls while she reported back to MCUSA on their Order. Lina shook her head. That girl should have gotten married and stayed a teacher. Well. Lina was not one for sentimentality, but Artemis had taught her the meaning of loyalty and trust. Time for her to pack up and head off then.

* * *

Artemis had promised to be in touch as soon as possible, but so far they'd heard nothing. Remus had no idea where she was or how to contact her. Dumbledore had forbidden them from approaching MCUSA, because he was unwilling to irritate potential allies. The American travel ban on werewolves prohibited him from going after her himself, and Sirius was still a wanted man. So they waited.

Two days…

"Moony, you've got to eat something."

Remus just shook his head.

Five days…

"Kingsley's trying to get a hold of an American newspaper to see if they reported anything about her case or a trial or something."

One week…

Remus stared out the window.

Sirius sighed and paced.

Two weeks…

A firm knock sounded at the front door. Sirius trudged down the stairs from the studio to open it, someone was probably early to the Order meeting. He swung the door open and froze, staring at the blonde on the front steps.

"Hello, Black."

A flirtatious grin lit up Sirius' face. "Lina! What a deliciously unexpected pleasure."

The expression that flashed across her face was reminiscent of McGonagall before handing out detention – half irritated and half amused. "Hello, Lupin," she nodded to Remus, who appeared over Sirius' shoulder.

"Did you decide to join the Order?" asked Remus, his brows furrowed. "How did you find this place?"

"Artemis Scamander asked me to check in on you both," Lina answered, "I received a letter from her…"

"How is she? What happened to her?" Remus interrupted.

"I don't know exactly," replied Lina, her face turned solemn as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "She sent me a letter a saying she had to leave a job and to please check up on Moony and Snuffles – that you two probably shouldn't be left on your own too long."

Sirius was staring at the witch with a funny smile on his face, absently stroking his moustache. Lina raised her eyebrows at him. "Are you going to ask me in so we can figure out what in the world is going on?"

Sirius flung the door as wide as it would open and bowed, gesturing for her to enter. Lina walked past him shaking her head, following Remus downstairs to the basement kitchen. At the table, Lina took in the warm, homey atmosphere. This had to be Artemis' work. The two men she'd travelled the length of Britain with in a caravan would never think to pull off this level of detail in decorating.

"So what do you know?" asked Remus. Lina passed him the letter, and he read it through quickly. "She must have written this after she arrived in America. She was obliviated…mentions memory problems, and she couldn't remember the address…" his voice trailed off and he passed the letter to Sirius.

"How do you know Artemis?" Sirius asked, as he finished reading over the parchment. "Did you work for MCUSA, or was it when she was freelancing as a mercenary?"

"Mercenary?" Lina wrinkled her nose. "I prefer vigilante. We only took jobs that would help people when more…traditional methods failed."

Sirius raised his eyebrows speculatively. "That I believe. How did you two meet?"

Lina settled herself back in her chair, crossing her arms. "I met Artemis and her brother just out of school. I had been turned down for the Auror training program with the Ministry, so I applied for an internship with MCUSA. I was assigned to Artemis and Apollo's team. It was led by an Auror named Daniel Godfrey. He was a wonderful fighter, wicked smart, but not a great leader – kind of slapdash in how he ran ops. Apollo was a fully qualified Auror, but Artemis had only joined the year before and was still in training, she'd been a teacher. She and I became very good friends."

Lina paused for a moment to line out her thoughts. "I learned an incredible amount that year – mostly from Apollo. He was the de facto leader of our team, and did it all so unobtrusively that Godfrey always thought everything was his own idea. Apollo was also the one who suggested I consider freelance work rather than a normal Auror route. So that's what I did when my internship finished. Then a few years ago Artemis came and worked with me for a while. When did you two meet her?"

"MCUSA assigned her to the Order of the Phoenix so they could keep tabs on the situation with Voldemort," said Remus. "She arrived here just a few days after Sirius and I left you. She lived here with us for almost a year."

Lina frowned. "I didn't think going back to MCUSA was a good idea, but Artemis said she wanted more stability in her work load and wanted to push for some changes in legislation."

"Werewolf management," added Remus. "She told me about her brother."

Lina looked at him curiously. "How much did she tell you?"

His tired blue eyes met hers honestly. "Everything. We tried to discourage Dumbledore from turning her over to MCUSA, told him that her sister's death was accidental and she didn't deserve to be brought up on criminal charges, but he wasn't willing to alienate the Americans."

"She thought it was a routine meet up with the American official at the Ministry," added Sirius. "They tried to arrest her, but she got away. Came back here sick and passed out. That could have been from a botched obliviation. She was planning to run away so nothing would trace back here, but Dumbledore insisted she turn herself in. And we… we didn't stop it. Didn't want any negative repercussions for the Order," he added.

"The Order is important," Lina acknowledged. "I don't always agree with Dumbledore's methods, but if Voldemort does get out of hand here we are certainly going to need American support…I was the only other person in the world that knew about what happened to Apollo. If she trusted you with that, you two must have been rather important to her."

It was a deliberately worded phrase, and Lina didn't miss how Sirius' eyes flicked over to Remus. So that was the lay of the land. Not surprising really, although Lina was surprised by the hint of satisfaction she felt. Artemis needed someone to take care of, and while Sirius Black might seem like the bigger mess, he was absolutely settled in who he was at his core. Remus Lupin, on the other hand, still struggled with occasionally being something utterly unlike his true self. And Artemis was a sap about werewolves. Lina blew a strand of hair out of her eyes. Romance aside, they weren't any closer to knowing what happened to Artemis after she was taken back to the states.

"Do either of you know who the arresting officer was? Or her contact at the Ministry?" she asked.

"We weren't supposed to know about the Ministry spook," said Sirius, "but she did say the name Godfrey in her sleep. Would they maybe have sent him since they worked together?"

Lina raised her eyebrows. "In her sleep?"

Sirius waggled his eyebrows insinuatingly, but then dropped them and said dryly, "She lost consciousness after they tried to arrest her. I was sitting with her and she mumbled something about Godfrey."

Lina frowned, as another puzzle piece clicked into place. "Daniel Godfrey was killed on an op the year after I was there. I don't know all the details, but Artemis told me there was some talk of it being her fault. She always covered for Apollo. And if he was supposed to be on the op, but couldn't because of the moon, they might have been blamed. Artemis is a great fighter, but Apollo was better, and faster with spells." She rubbed her forehead, willing the probable events into order. "Daniel's wife, Hephzibah, is a supervisor. She assigns the ops. If Artemis pushed her werewolf agenda too much, Hephzibah could have put the pieces together. And all it would take is an autopsy of her sister's body…It must have been her…" Lina finished, her jaw clenched.

"Do you have any idea what will happen to her now?" asked Remus, his own jaw tight.

"I'd assume some prison time, but I'm not sure how long. It might depend on how much they have on her. Was it just failing to report the lycanthropy, or that plus covering up her sister's death…Have you checked any of the American papers?"

Remus shook his head, and rubbed his forehead wearily. "We've gotten ahold of a few, but none of them have mentioned a werewolf trial or anything about the Scamander family."

Lina nodded. "I'm not surprised. The Americans like to think they have their werewolf situation handled. They believe if they can find and imprison all lycanthropes as soon as they're infected, eventually the disease will die out. They wouldn't be eager to have a trial splashed all over the papers that involved werewolves, government cover ups, mysterious deaths, and the Scamanders."

"So how can we discover what really happened to her? Find out if she's all right?" asked Sirius.

"I'm assuming she's responsible for a lot of the décor in here, right?" asked Lina, waving her hand at the room.

The men nodded. "She redid the whole house. It was a nightmare before she came," answered Sirius.

"Has anything changed on its own since she left? Anything revert back to how it was before?"

The men were quite for a moment thinking, looked at each other, then back at Lina, shaking their heads.

"Well that's good at any rate. Transfiguration spells are permanent, but some charms will dissipate if the caster dies. There have to be some charms involved. So if nothing's changed, we can at least assume she's still alive," stated Lina.

"Do you…want to stick around? Just while we're waiting to hear something? There's lots of empty bedrooms," offered Sirius hopefully.

Lina nodded slowly. "Scamander asked me to keep an eye on you two. And I'd been thinking about approaching the Order to help anyway."

Remus managed a half-hearted smile at Sirius' obvious delight. "Well, we have a meeting in about an hour, so your timing is excellent."

Lina stood from the table, and swung her bag over her shoulder. "Great. Show me where to stow this."

Sirius stood and ushered her to the door. Lina patted Remus on the shoulder as she passed him. "I'll reach out to some people I know in the States. See if they can find any more information too."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23 ~ June, 1996

"Kieran, here's the paperwork on the new one."

The man sighed, pushing long dark hair away from his face, "Well, we made it five years without a new resident, apart from you and Finn of course. Want to come with me to give her the welcome speech?"

The woman hesitated. "You really need to look at this before you talk to her. She's not actually a werewolf."

Kieran glared at the parchment as he took it. He skimmed the first form quickly, then turned to read the transcript of the sentencing. "Of all the idiotic… They're trying to make an example of her." He shoved away from the old roll top desk and stood, towering over the woman next to him. "Well, let's see what we're dealing with."

He paused in the doorway and turned back to look at the woman. "Are you going to say yes when I ask you to dance tonight?"

The woman blushed and smiled. "Maybe. Your persistence is…endearing."

Kieran grinned. "Then I won't give up." He held the door open for her and the pair started down the gravel road.

They arrived in front of 32A just a few minutes after Artemis had entered the small house. She wandered from living room to kitchen to bedroom to bath, not noticing the tears streaming down her cheeks. It was a simple older house, probably part of a community that sprung up in the building boom that happened after the last great No-Maj war. It was clean and well laid out, not nearly as terrible as Sirius' house had seemed to her that first week at Grimmauld Place. Which was really a good thing since she didn't have her wand to make any changes. She was going to have to deal with it the way it was. The odd thought struck her that this wouldn't have even seemed like a punishment a year ago. A year ago it would have seemed like an opportunity, a chance to start over – before she'd known about the Order of the Phoenix, before she'd made such wonderful friends, before she'd fallen in love. The firm knock on the door made her jump. Artemis hastily wiped the tears from her face and opened the door. She unconsciously took a step back from the intimidating figure before her. He was very tall and well-muscled, with long dark hair and a neatly clipped goatee. The scars up and down his arms clearly said he was a werewolf, and he looked quite fierce.

"Move back, Kieran, you're going to frighten the poor woman," came a soft Irish accent from behind him. The woman that moved around him and held out her hand to Artemis had long hair and warm brown eyes. "I'm Ellie Burke. This is Kieran Walsh. He's our mayor. We're here to see what help you might need getting settled."

Artemis shook her hand half-heartedly. "I'm Artemis Scamander. I guess…you can come in if you want."

The woman, Ellie, smiled and stepped inside. She was carrying a small picnic basket. The man followed her, ducking the door frame slightly. They took a seat on the worn sofa. "I'm sorry if I scared you," Kieran said. "We always meet with new people to help them get settled in, find out what they need for their homes, see what jobs they might be interested in and fill them in on how this place works." He paused for a moment and looked apologetic. "They sent us paperwork on your sentencing…this is a…well, an unusual situation. Ellie is the only other non-lycanthrope that lives here, but her situation is different…"

"It's my son," Ellie interrupted in her lilting voice. "He has lycanthropy. He's just a wee thing, only two years old. And then I work here as a Healer, as I'm allowed to have a wand…since we…turned ourselves in, you might say."

"I'm so sorry," Artemis said, shocked. "I've never heard of anyone so young…"

"Ay, it's a terrible story. Although he is a right wee puffball on the full moons, my Finn."

Kieran snorted a surprised laugh at her comment. "I doubt anyone's ever said that about any werewolf before. Miss Scamander," he continued in a more serious tone, "Food and household items can be delivered later today or you can come to the storage buildings and choose your own items as you wish. If you have anything magical packed away that you need, Ellie can help you out with that."

"Was your wand taken too?" Artemis asked him in a bitter voice.

Kieran looked at her with fathomless eyes, and she felt the authority he carried like a physical presence. She wasn't at all sure how this worked, if the reservation functioned simply as a town or a pack or some medley of the two, but this man was clearly an Alpha. Even with her wand or transfigured as a mountain lion Artemis knew he would be a very dangerous man to cross.

Then he smiled and the fleeting sense of fear passed. "I'm a No-Maj. I was a carpenter before I was infected, and knew nothing of the magical world. It's been quite the learning process."

"Wow. Are you serious?" Artemis whispered. As crazy as her life had seemed, she couldn't imagine what this man had gone through trying to incorporate not only the idea of magic and magical creatures into his life, but also that this same magic was now used to take him away from any friends or family he had and hold him prisoner.

"No, I'm Kieran. I thought I'd already introduced myself."

As the small joke seeped into her conscious, Artemis was embarrassed to find herself bursting into tears. Kieran instantly looked apologetic. "I'm so sorry, I was trying to lighten the moment. It's…probably the adrenaline crashing after the trial and everything. I'll…I'll leave you with Ellie here to get things arranged and you just let me know if you need anything." Making a face and mouthing _I'm sorry_ to Ellie, he ducked out of the door and was gone.

Artemis felt a hand on her shoulder and a handkerchief pressed into her hand. "I'll just pop into the kitchen and fix us a little bite and a cuppa," came the soft voice. Artemis tried to get herself under control. She hadn't cried like this since Apollo died.

* * *

Sirius could hardly believe what he was hearing. Harry had snuck out of the school and to the Ministry to save him?! What was he thinking? Why hadn't he tried to contact them? The thoughts were swirling around his head, and he vaguely remembered Remus telling him how Harry almost died every year. It was one thing to take a few risks, but this was getting ridiculous. Maybe he should homeschool.

Sirius, Remus and Lina arrived at the Ministry, meeting up with Kingsley, Moody and Tonks in the hallway. The group raced down to the Department of Mysteries and burst through the high doors, raining spells upon the Death Eaters as they jumped from step to step down to the sunken floor. Sirius' heart was pounding. It had been a while since he'd fought like this. He allowed one moment of gratitude for Artemis' cooking and Remus dueling with him to get him back in shape.

They saw Harry and Neville surrounded. Tonks fired a stunning spell at Malfoy, and Harry and Neville made a break for it. Harry was grabbed by Macnair, who let out an anguished howl as Neville jabbed his wand in the man's eye. Dolohov hit Neville with a dancing feet spell and made a grab for Harry. Sirius rammed into Dolohov, knocking him away. Their wands flashed like swords, sparks flying, as the pair dueled.

" _Petrificus Totalus_!" yelled Harry, before Dolohov could finish his next spell.

"Nice one!" shouted Sirius, pushing Harry down as a stunning spell shot towards them. "Now take the prophecy, grab Neville and run!"

Lina was fighting the Lestrange brothers, a maniacal smile on her face. Tonks dueled with Bellatrix until she was hit with a stream of green light and tumbled down the stone steps. Kingsley stupefied Rookwood and ran to check on her. Sirius turned and took off after Bellatrix. As the pair dueled upon the dais in the room, Lucius Malfoy again aimed his wand at Harry. Remus jumped between Harry and Malfoy, firing off his own spell, and knocking Malfoy back. "Go, Harry!" he shouted. "Find the others and get out of here!"

Lucius regained his footing and sneered at Lupin. "Well, well. If it isn't the half-breed. Robes are looking a bit tatty, aren't they? An unfortunate side effect of being unemployable, I'm sure."

Remus shot a hex at Malfoy, which he barely managed to block. "Lucius, you'd be a much better fighter if you'd remember to shut up once in a while."

Malfoy glared at him and they dueled silently for a few moments. One shot caused Remus to stumble back and Malfoy advanced on him, grinning evilly. "See, half-breed," he hissed, "soon you will be begging for mercy."

Remus stood slowly and fixed a mocking smile on his face. "Funny," he snarled, the disdain dripping from his voice. "That's what she said."

The change on Malfoy's face was instantaneous and Remus wished Sirius could have seen it. He looked like a caricature of himself, brows drawn together, lip curled and face alternating white and red. " _Incarcerous_!" shouted Lupin, and Malfoy dropped beneath the weight of the thick cords wrapping around his body. " _Expelliarmus_ ," Remus muttered, snatching up Malfoy's wand.

As he turned to help the others, time seemed to slow down. Dumbledore had now entered the fray, and most of the Death Eaters turned and ran. Only Sirius and Bellatrix were left battling. Sirius dodged and laughed as he ducked her spell. "Come on, you can do better than that!" he yelled. Then Remus watched in horror, feeling his own heart stop when her next hex hit Sirius in the shoulder. A look of surprise crossed Sirius' face as blood seeped from his sleeve and he fell backwards toward the veiled arch. Suddenly a golden haired blur shoved him away from the arch and off the dais to the floor. Lina shook her hair back off her face and wiped some blood off a split lip with the back of her hand, turning to face Bellatrix. The black-haired witch cackled and fired off a spell that Lina dodged. She moved resolutely toward Bellatrix, brandishing her wand as wounds appeared on the demented Death Eater's arms and face. When Lina jumped to the side to dodge another spell, Bellatrix turned and ran.

Lina leaped down from the dais to check on Sirius. Harry was at his side, pressing his hands against the wound on his shoulder. Lina knelt beside him and gently pulled his hands away. She tore at the sleeve to better see the gaping slash, and growled softly at the sight. " _Episkey,_ " she muttered, moving her wand over the wound. "Well, that will slow the bleeding, but it's not enough. Be thankful this isn't your wand arm, Black. Those muscles are going to take a while to heal. Have you been pardoned yet?"

Sirius shook his head almost imperceptibly, pale from the loss of blood and trying his hardest not to pass out in front of her.

"Right. No hospital for you then, and I doubt you want the Ministry to find you here. Lupin!" she yelled to Remus, standing beside Neville. "We've got to get him back to the house."

"Right," called Remus, as he lifted the spell from Neville's legs.

Neville climbed shakily to his feet. "The others are back here, Professor Lupin," he said quietly. "Luna, Ron, Ginny and Hermione. Harry thought Sirius was captured. We…we just wanted to help."

Remus smiled at the earnestness of his former student, his heart tight with relief. "Naive perhaps, but you all did admirably. Truly. Now you'd better gather up the others and the Order will get you all over to St. Mungo."

"I thought I was going to lose you too," Harry choked out, crumpled beside Sirius. "I saw Voldemort torturing you and then that, evil…woman…I could just…" His green eyes hardened with rage and leaped to his feet and took off in the direction Bellatrix had gone.

"Harry, wait!" Remus called, starting after him, but Dumbledore waved him back.

"Lupin, I need your help," Lina snapped. She had wrapped Sirius' arm tightly in the sleeve she'd torn away and was levitating his now unconscious body toward the door. "I need you to find Essence of Dittany, Murtlap, some Blood Replenishing Potion and…maybe Wiggenweld Potion. Can you get to an apothecary or find someone who might have those?"

Remus nodded. "I know a man," he said decisively and turned to leave. "Whether he'll give me what I need to help Sirius Black is a whole other question," he muttered under his breath.

* * *

Professor McGonagall informed him that Severus was in his quarters. Remus knocked firmly on the door, trying to decide if he was even going to tell him the potions were for Sirius.

"Enter," came the cold voice from behind the door.

Remus opened the door and stepped into the room, surprised by the warmth and coziness. Severus was writing at a desk in the corner, and he paused to look at Remus disdainfully. "Yes?"

"Thank you for sending us the message about Harry. The Order was able to get there in time, and several Death Eaters were arrested."

"I am already aware of this, Lupin, you may go." Severus waved a hand at him dismissively.

Remus gritted his teeth. "I actually came to ask for some potions to help an Order member who was injured."

"Black, I presume?"

"…Yes…" Remus tensed, waiting for the cutting remarks, but Severus simply rose from the desk and moved over to a large cupboard across the room. He was dressed quite casually for once, black trousers and shirt with a very dark forest green sweater. In fact, the sweater looked identical to the one Artemis had given Sirius for Christmas, and Remus wondered if she had given Severus this one. He felt a slight pang of jealousy, immediately followed by regret.

"What was the nature of the injury?" Severus drawled, interrupting Remus' thoughts.

He hesitated. "Um…it was some kind of cutting spell, to his shoulder. I think we need some dittany, murtlap, uh…blood replenishing potion, and uh…"

"Wiggenweld? I'm assuming you're here because it was beyond a simple _episkey_ healing spell?"

"Uh…yes, that slowed the blood loss, but didn't do anything to heal the wound…why are you being so gracious about this?" Remus finally questioned.

Severus hesitated. "I heard about the unfortunate situation with Miss Scamander."

Remus was taken aback. "So you're willing to do this because of her?"

"If you wish to view it that way."

"But…why?"

Severus frowned holding out a box containing the potions, and Remus wondered if he was going to say anything else or just kick him out. After a moment of silence, Remus turned and walked to the door. "Thank you, Severus. I won't forget this."

When he arrived back at the house Lina had cleaned the wound the best she could. Now she applied the essence of dittany and murtlap and Remus forced the appropriate potions down his throat. Sirius stayed unconscious the rest of the night, finally coming to just after dawn.

"Hey Moony," he croaked to Remus, who had fallen asleep in the chair next to his bed. "Harry all right?"

"Yeah," yawned Remus, rubbing his eyes. "The students were all checked out at St. Mungos. Ron and Hermione had to stay overnight, but the rest were sent back with Poppy." He frowned suddenly. "Actually Hermione might be there a while. They aren't completely sure what spell hit her, and she hasn't woken up yet."

He handed Sirius a glass of water and helped him sit up a bit against the headboard. Sirius cursed a blue streak at the shooting pain, but it seemed to ease up as he held himself still again. "What did you do for my shoulder?" he asked.

"Lina took care of it, actually. And I uh…got the potions you needed from Severus."

Sirius scowled. "The slimy git must have loved you coming to ask a favor from him. Did he make you beg?"

Remus frowned, remembering the strange conversation. "No. He was almost…nice about it. He basically said he was doing it for Artemis. Do you think she reminds him of Lily somehow?"

"Reggie."

"What?"

Sirius smiled a little sadly. "She reminds him of Regulus. I know you didn't ever really get to know him, but you would have liked him. You know, without all the blood purity Death Eater crap. He was…a lot like Artemis."

"And Malfoy was arrested last night," Remus added, nonchalantly trying to change the subject.

Sirius let out a hoarse bark of a laugh. "Nice. Did you have the pleasure of pasting him one?"

"Alas, no," Remus sighed regretfully, then smirked, "But I did get in a well-timed comment about Narcissa."

"Brilliant," said Sirius, grimacing as he shifted on the bed. "I wish I'd seen his face."

"It was truly unforgettable," laughed Remus. "I'll be enjoying that for a while."

Remus eventually made his way downstairs to try and fix some breakfast, and Lina came in to dole out potions and change bandages.

"What's your name?" asked Sirius, looking intently at her face.

Lina blinked at him in surprise. "Did you hit your head too, Black? My name's Lina."

Sirius shook his head. "Your name might be Lina, but it's not short for Caroline Bingley. I found out she's a character in a Muggle book."

Lina half smiled. "Fair enough. I don't use my real name when I'm working."

"So what is your real name?" pressed Sirius, struggling to sit up slightly in the bed.

Lina looked at him with a stern expression, which Sirius just thought was endearing. "Why does it matter?" she finally asked, turning back to focus on the bandage.

"Because I'd like to know who exactly I'm asking out on a date," Sirius answered a little peevishly.

Lina froze for half a second before deliberately finishing the bandage. Then she turned and faced him. "Why do you want to ask me out on a date?" she said, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, I don't know, he responded sarcastically. "You're clever…pretty…you saved my life…twice."

She shook her head, "Not good enough."

Sirius smiled at her, an almost bashful, affectionate smile. "Because you appeared in the darkness of my life like a beacon. Because you perceive things about situations and people that most others would never understand. Because you give everything to fight for what's right, regardless of how others see you. Because you are the first person to come along and make me think there might be a happy future possible for myself."

Lina stared at him blankly for a moment before turning to study the potion bottles. "They don't list any side effects, but clearly something is making you a bit sozzled. Now, which one of these could it be?"

"I am of perfectly sound mind right now, I assure you." Sirius affirmed, tentatively reaching for her hand.

Lina pulled away and stood to leave the room, gathering up the old bandages and potion bottles. "Lupin was right. You are dramatic, sentimental and stubborn. And it's Evangeline Laurent," she added softly, as she closed the door.

Sirius settled himself back on the pillow and sighed serenely. "Evangeline," he whispered.

* * *

Artemis had started and discarded a dozen letters to Remus and Sirius since she'd arrived. She wasn't sure what had happened to her ability to stuff her emotions down and get the job done, but it was long gone. Even the letters that started out well would wind up covered in tear stains and scribbles. It wasn't fair to not tell them anything, but it also wasn't fair to dump all of her feelings on them. They had enough to worry about. The American papers hadn't had many details on the incident at the Ministry, but at least it had made the front page. Voldemort was back and it wasn't being buried by the press. Poor Harry's picture indicated it was more touch and go than the papers had said, and Artemis was certain the Order had been present when it happened.

Artemis sighed, then had a brainstorm. She would write to Lina again. Surely she'd made contact with them by now, and would be able to pass on at least that she was safe and not able to come back. Artemis found a quill, ink and some parchment and sat back at the kitchen table. She thought for a good while about how to word things without giving too much away. Who knew if owls were being intercepted by now?

 _Renarde,_

 _I hope you've been able to check up on Moony and Snuffles for me. Please tell them I miss them and hope all is well. You know the drill. Put on a Happy Face. I don't know that it will work when I'm so far away, but I'll try._

 _I don't think it will be in the papers, but I was found guilty. They've taken my wand, and I've been sentenced to live for five years on a werewolf reservation. The people are very kind and work hard together to make a good life for themselves. I work in the kitchen – shocking, I'm sure. Please tell them not to worry. They take great care to make sure that everyone is safe. I read what happened at the Ministry in the papers, and I hope everyone is well._

 _I wish I could say more, but I'll stop now until I know for sure you've received this and I can send more letters._

 _All my love,_

 _~Lionne_

Artemis read back over it, satisfied that Lina would understand, but no one else would. She smiled at the old nicknames. They'd used them once on a job in Russia, and the names had stuck. Vixen and Lioness. And if Lina had made contact, she'd tell Remus and Sirius about the radio. That was the best she could do for now. Artemis glanced at the wall clock. It was afternoon here, but the moon was already rising for Remus. At least it wasn't a full moon tonight. She missed him so much. Calling that feeling heartbreak made more sense now. It truly felt like her heart was being squeezed until it would finally shatter.

* * *

** Responding to the Guest Review from Thursday ** I usually send private messages to all reviewers, but you can't do that with Guest Reviews. Anyway...Thanks for your review! Your concern was whether Remus and Artemis sleeping together was really in character for him. I think that's a valid question, and I'm honestly still on the fence about it. I mentioned to a friend last week that in light of how the rest of the story is going, I'm not even sure that story line is helpful or necessary anymore. But it's there, and I didn't want to go back and rework that much. As to it being in his character, Remus getting blitzed out of his mind and hooking up with someone makes more sense to me than him intentionally marrying and having a baby with Tonks, based on his concern about passing down the disease, so that's what I went with. I tried to indicate in a couple earlier chapters that the years of his solitude and depression have, in fact, led him into similar situations, albeit with more deliberation. But I mean, I also get it that's feels out of place, because he's generally more conservative. I've had a hard time writing him, because I think he's a hard character to pin down. He tries to live his life as best he can given his limitations, but he seems to continually be living in response to other people's choices. The other question about Artemis being too good to be true is also something I've struggled over. My goal was to have her wind up stuck in a job that she can do, but doesn't really like, and here comes this chance for her to sort of break free. I don't think her only concern for Remus is mothering, but I also don't think she has a good history of how to be in a relationship with someone, let alone someone who seems to send her mixed signals. She's also been making decisions for her life based on what other people needed from her, rather than what she really wanted to do. I honestly see her as being a little co-dependant. Anyway...I think that's what I think, thanks for the review! I can certainly appreciate thoughtful criticism. If you want to discuss further feel free to message me! :)

** Katkloss ** Thanks for your review as well! I frequently get frustrated with characters' inability to just sit down and talk things out. Hiding what you think or feel for the benefit of the other person rarely works out well in my experience. ;)


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24 ~ July, 1996

Artemis sighed and pounded the bread dough. She was so strangely tired, and didn't quite feel like she even knew herself anymore. Others had always described Artemis as adaptable, able to find purpose and contentment in the most tedious tasks – supervisors always liked her, peers found it annoying. But lately she hadn't been able to find any contentment. Her emotions had been on a rollercoaster, and the overarching fatigue didn't help matters.

It was the ordinary things that hurt the most. Cooking just for herself was unbearably depressing, so she ate a little at work. Jane Novak, who managed the kitchen, tried to draw her out, but Artemis preferred to keep to herself. Each day she got up, made a perfunctory cup of tea, and headed to work. After a day spent mostly on her feet, cooking and baking, she dragged herself home, showered and collapsed into her bed, hoping the exhaustion would prevent her from having any dreams. The nightmares of being chased through London by a demon-faced Hephzibah Godfrey and a pack of werewolves were almost preferable to the cozy dreams of having tea with Remus in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place, or laughing with Sirius over something. Those dreams left her with such a feeling of longing and desolation, that she often finished the night curled in a ball, crying into her pillow.

* * *

The day of July's first full moon, Ellie was making her rounds. Every resident had a physical before and after each transformation. Just after lunch time she arrived at Artemis' house. Kieran and two other men were putting the finishing touches on reinforcing her bathroom. Kieran had decided that the small interior room was the safest place for Artemis to wait out the full moons. She'd tried to insist that she'd be fine in her animagus form, but he was having none of it. No way was someone getting infected while under his care, so Artemis tried to go along with it graciously.

Ellie had Finn with her, and Artemis took him gladly while Ellie sat and had a cup of tea. The boy looked just like his mom, with unruly hair and brown eyes. Finn sat on Artemis' lap happily munching a cookie. She still had a hard time trying to imagine a sweet little guy like him having to endure such a painful experience every month. Ellie's situation was similar to her own. Kieran had reinforced the bathroom door and built a special cage that fit into the bathtub. Ellie would spend each night offering the little werewolf toys to tear into so he wouldn't hurt himself. She'd also been talking with Artemis about the process of becoming an animagus, so she could calm him more during the long nights. As the sun set, all of the residents would walk over to what was sardonically called "The Gallery." The large room was lined with magically fortified cells, where each resident would spend the night.

Artemis was surprised to discover that Kieran wasn't really the Alpha. The residents had mayoral elections every two years, although Kieran had been in office for several terms now. He always encouraged others to run against him and got unreasonably annoyed the few times he'd been re-elected unanimously. Everyone had tried to explain to him that he simply was the best choice. It was obvious he cared about the people who lived here and did all he could to make their lives the best they could be under the circumstances. "It's un-American," he grumbled. "Where's the dissenting voice?"

When she'd finished her restorative cuppa, Ellie set Finn down on the floor to play with a few toys and quickly ran through Artemis' physical, wand flashing colors as she ran it over her body. After a few moments, Ellie took a step back and frowned. Then she slowly ran the wand over Artemis' mid-section again. Her eyes widened. "You're pregnant," she whispered. "Did you know?"

"What?!" Artemis squeaked. Her mind flashed back to that horrible morning, just about six weeks ago.

Ellie smiled kindly at her. "Did you realize you were late?"

Artemis nodded dumbly. "Sort of. I wasn't really paying attention with all the stress of everything," she muttered, feeling the tears well up and spill down her cheeks.

Ellie gave her a sympathetic smile and hugged her. "There, there, love. It will be fine. Everything appears completely normal. Would you like to hear the heartbeat?"

Artemis looked at her with wide eyes and nodded slowly. Ellie held her wand over Artemis' abdomen and a soft pink light hovered over her. After a moment Artemis heard the flutter of very rapid thumps. "Hear that?" Ellie asked gently. "Strong heartbeat. And it's a girl."

Artemis stared at her. "He's a werewolf," she blurted out suddenly. "The father… is a werewolf. But we…it was just one time…"

Kieran chose that moment to enter the room. He took in the pink light, soft fluttering thumping sound, and Artemis' shocked face. "So is it a girl then?" he asked, smiling broadly.

Artemis just stared at him. "Ah…I'm guessing you didn't know," he adding, stroking his beard awkwardly. "Well, your safe room's all ready to go. I know you think it's too much, but better safe than sorry."

"How did you know before we did?" asked Ellie, a puzzled frown on her face. "I just found out whilst doing her physical a minute ago."

"Scent," Kieran stated matter-of-factly. "Not always…but this close to the full moon we can. Everyone's really excited about it. We'll leave you to it then." He ruffled Finn's hair as he left the house. The men helping him followed, carrying tools and smiling, saying a soft "Congratulations," as they left.

Artemis sat numbly on the couch, not quite able to process what was happening.

"I know you were planning to use your animagus form during the full moon, but I would advise against it. There's not enough research on how it affects a developing fetus."

"And what about…the lycanthropy. Can it be passed down like that?"

"Well," Ellie hesitated. "We don't know for certain. There's not a lot of research on that either."

Artemis took a long shuddering breath. "So what are my options?"

There was an uncomfortable pause before Ellie answered. "I can report it on the health sheets that will be turned in tomorrow, and request you be taken to a hospital to terminate the pregnancy if that's what you choose, or you can try to carry the baby to term and see what happens. Frankly, if the lycanthropy does present itself you couldn't be in a better place to learn to manage it. If we report it and the baby does not carry the disease, MCUSA will most likely remove her from your care after the birth, and she will become a ward of the state." She pocketed her wand in her Healer's robe and swung Finn up on to her hip. "Take some time and think about it."

Stopping abruptly in the doorway, Ellie turned back. "Actually, I'm going to ask you to please not consider an abortion. We can…we can keep it a secret and raise her here. If you don't want a baby yourself, one of the other women here would be more than glad to have a child, with or without lycanthropy."

Artemis could only nod dumbly. Right – she'd almost forgotten this was a prison. Stupid, of course to worry about options. The other women here had no options. After Ellie had left, Artemis went through the motions of cleaning up the cups and teapot muttering worriedly to herself, and then gathered up the few things she would need for the night and left the pile on the bathroom counter. Her hand would absently rest across her abdomen now and then. How in the world was this her life now? She pressed a fist against her mouth to try and stifle a choking sob, an irrational anger towards her brother clouding her other emotions. If she hadn't tried to help him manage his own life this wouldn't have happened. She could have taught school and maybe gone out with that cute astronomy teacher. But no, she had to try and fix everybody, and all she wound up doing was screwing things up more. She sank down onto the small sofa, tears streaming down her face again. What an absolute mess.

* * *

Kreacher slowly swept the kitchen floor, not putting too much effort into the task. Behind him on the countertop, the radio crackled to life, static followed by a gentle voice with a clear Irish brogue. "Strong heartbeat. And it's a girl."

"He's a werewolf. The father…her father…is a werewolf. But we…it was just one time…"

Kreacher paused and turned toward the device. That voice sounded like the strange American blood-traitor who gave him Poor Mistress' tapestry. She used to look at him like Master Regulus had looked at him. Screechy static took over the set again, and Kreacher moved forward to turn it off, pulling his hand back as the voice returned.

It was most certainly Miss Artemis, muttering, "How can I tell him that? Dear Remus. I know you made it very clear that you didn't want to have children, but guess what, I'm having your baby. There's no way to tell if she'll be a werewolf or not. Oh by the way, you can't see either of us for the next five years because we're imprisoned on a werewolf reservation. Hope your war's going well… I can't do this…I can't. This is unbelievable…"

The voice dissolved into hiccupping little sobs before the static returned. Kreacher waited in case he heard the voice again, but when the radio started playing music he turned it off. Slowly resuming his half-hearted sweeps of the floor, Kreacher pondered the strange occurrence. Miss Artemis was expecting the half-breed's child. Better that it had been Master Sirius, Kreacher thought, disgust wrinkling his face. At least then the Noble House of Black would not die out with the highly unsuitable heir…and Miss Artemis was…tolerable. She was not a Black, but she had Brave Regulus' kind eyes.

Hanging the broom on its peg in the pantry, Kreacher scuttled into his nest. Miss Artemis had made him leave his place under the boiler and built him a new nest. In the blackest corner of the pantry she transfigured a box into a little room of sorts. It rather resembled a Muggle dog house, but inside she had painted it like Master Regulus' room, and told him he could keep it a secret from Master Sirius and the Half-Breed. It was here Kreacher kept his treasures. The shrunken family tapestry hung at the far end, Black family photographs covered another wall, and on a row of nails by the door dangled various pieces of jewelry. Kreacher dug through a pile of moldy old clothes until he unearthed a pale green sunsuit.

* * *

Artemis was still in the middle of her night when Remus transformed back and slowly made his way to the kitchen. Sirius had grumbled, but both Lina and Remus had insisted he wasn't strong enough to transform and stay with Remus that night. Even after two weeks and multiple potions, his arm was very weak, the muscles healing themselves at an agonizingly slow pace. To make up for it, Sirius was awake at dawn and waiting for Remus in the kitchen. He started tea and warmed up the steak that Molly had sent over, then helped himself to a cinnamon roll from Artemis' last baking spree that they were trying to ration. Lina stumbled in a minute later. She was not at all a morning person, almost violently so. Sirius handed her a cup of the horrific instant coffee that she drank, and she yawned a thank you as she collapsed at the table.

He shook his head, chuckling, as he turned to the counter and flipped on the old radio. They didn't play it too often anymore. Ever since Artemis had left it only played one song over and over again. He'd tried a couple different spells, but nothing changed and he didn't want to do anything too drastic, since it was hers after all.

 _Am I blue; am I blue  
_ _Ain't these tears in my eyes telling you  
_ _Am I blue, you'd be too  
_ _If each plan with your man done fell through_

Lina looked up from the table and frowned at the radio as Remus trudged into the room. Sirius handed him a cup of tea and the plate of meat. "Ta," Remus rasped out as he took a sip of tea and then tucked into the steak.

"Artemis left her radio?" Lina asked, her own voice gravely in the morning. Her hand propped up her chin, and her blonde hair hung bedraggled in her face. Sirius wanted to tuck it behind her ear, but didn't dare.

Remus nodded. "It used to play more music, but it's been stuck on that same song since she left. Sirius has messed with it a little, but he didn't want to damage it."

"It's supposed to be enchanted to play what she's feeling," Lina said slowly, her eyes half closed. "Her brother made it for her a long time ago."

The two men turned slowly and stared at the small machine. "That explains a couple things," said Sirius softly. "Sometimes it would switch in the middle of a song for no reason. She just said it was old and acting up."

As the song ended there was the slight sound of static. Then a single clear voice came through the speakers singing an old folk song.

 _Early one morning  
just as the sun was rising,  
I heard a maiden singing  
in the valley below._

Remus dropped his knife and fork with a clatter as Lina's eyes grew wide. "That's her," Remus said, his voice shocked.

 _Cold, silver moonlight_  
 _Calling you silently_  
 _Your only answer_  
 _Is a mournful howl_

"How is she…" Sirius began.

"Hush," said Lina sharply.

 _Her light is beautiful,  
_ _but still cold and cruel.  
_ _Why does she call to you,  
_ _that treacherous jade?_

Remus' face fell at the lyrics. He'd heard this song once, long ago. It was painful to think about, the curse of the werewolf stealing the young woman's lover.

 _You are my true love,  
_ _I was your one and only.  
_ _Now as the moon is full  
_ _you leave me for her._

 _Oh, don't deceive me,  
Oh, never leave me,  
How could you use  
a poor maiden so?_

As the song trailed away there was a sigh.

Lina turned and studied Remus, her eyes calculating. He was staring down at the table looking defeated. "I wonder how she was able to do that," she remarked curiously. "I worked with her for years. That radio could play what she was feeling, but only in a general sense. She had to really concentrate to get it to play specific songs. We could use it sometimes to send messages. She'd have it play a certain song if the job was going well, if she was finished and headed back, if something had gone wrong and she needed backup…but she's never been able to speak through it before…and from so far away…"

Sirius frowned. "She must be imprisoned somewhere," he said grimly.

"Why do you think that?" asked Remus slowly.

"It's accidental magic. Wherever she is, she's had her wand taken. Demen…" his voice broke off as his hands started to shake. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Dementors aren't the only thing that drives people mad in Azkaban. Without your wand the magic you can do is limited. It…it starts to build up. If you don't have a way to use it, release it somehow…"

"You used your animagus form," stated Remus, instantly understanding. "That's how you released your magic, by transforming back and forth. Artemis can do the same."

Sirius shook his head slowly. "Maybe. But what if she's somewhere that she can't transform? What if that's why the radio worked?"

"Wait," said Lina gently, "let's not go looking for trouble. The radio may have acted as an outlet for her magic, but that song…it didn't sound like a desperate woman in prison. It sounded like a woman who is simply sad. And that's perfectly normal for anyone who's missing their…friends."

Remus looked up at Lina intently. "Can you find her? We can't go after her, but you can. You can travel to the States and find out what happened at her trial…find where they're keeping her."

She nodded slowly. "Yes, but it will take a little while…I'll have to travel as a Muggle. MCUSA is a little over-vigilant in controlling their international apparition sites."

Sirius smirked at her. "You're on a watch list, aren't you?"

"I will neither confirm nor deny that," she answered flatly.

Kreacher slunk into the kitchen holding a letter. "Mudblood Miss Lina has mail," he croaked. Sirius shook his head at the greeting, but he had to admit that for Kreacher, it was an improvement.

Lina looked surprised. "No one knows I'm here. I always pick up my post from a box in Belgravia." She opened the letter and her features softened. After reading through the short note, she handed it to Remus. "It's from Artemis."

He grabbed it and read the lines through several times, his heart sinking. "She's been sentenced to live on a werewolf reservation," he said, handing the letter to Sirius.

Sirius frowned at the letter. "Well," he said finally, trying to sound optimistic, "it it doesn't sound quite as bad as what I would imagine a werewolf reservation to be. What does she mean by 'Put on a Happy Face' and she's not sure if it will work?"

"That's for the radio. Each Sunday night at eight o'clock she'll try to have it play 'Put on a Happy Face' to let us know she's all right."

"Well," Sirius said, clearing his throat, "let's just focus on what we know, so we can find her as quickly as possible. Maybe we can break her out or something. It's got to be easier to get off of a werewolf reservation than out of Azkaban." He read over the letter again. "They sentenced her to five years, so they must think she can survive that long. She says she's on a good one, so maybe they have different ones depending on how dangerous they they you are. And she says that the people are kind and they take care to make sure people are safe."

Lina nodded. "It doesn't sound ominous. If she were truly afraid for her life, she'd know how to tell me. I'll try to get ahold of some Polyjuice potion, and pending any real difficulty, probably find her within a week or two."

After a month of hearing the scratchy recording of Billy Holiday, the radio suddenly switched songs.

 _In the wee small hours of the the morning  
_ _When the whole wide world is fast asleep  
_ _You lie awake and think about the boy  
_ _And never ever think of counting sheep_

Lina snorted and rose from the table. She pushed her hair out of her face again and patted Remus on the shoulder. "See? Middle of the night of a full moon, and the song her subconscious chooses is about missing you."

Sirius watched Remus sympathetically. "We'll get her back, Moony."

Remus nodded and stood up. "I need to get out for a while. I'll be back before dark."

Sirius gave him a half smile. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do. Actually think about what I'd do and then go back three steps and don't do anything past that."

* * *

Two figures entered the darkened room and lingered at the edge of the bed, staring down at the sleeping woman. "You're sure she won't wake up?"

"Yes. I'm a little concerned with late-term complications. The child may be safe, but transforming in the womb could be dangerous for Artemis. You're certain the baby is infected?"

"Yes. I _think_ everything will be fine, but we see in part and we prophesy in part. How long before she starts to suspect?"

"It will depend. I'm not even certain the baby will start to transform in the womb. It could begin post-partum. If it's earlier, then I don't think she will realize what is happening unless she's accidentally scratched or bitten. As the baby grows, obviously the risk is greater."

"Well, that is all out of our hands."

The hushed conversation ceased as a wrinkled pair of old and dark-skinned hands rested on Artemis' abdomen. A soft chant rose into the air as strange shadows moved through the night sky.

* * *

** Thanks so much for the reads, follows and reviews! Hello again, Guest! I absolutely am not offended by your reviews. You're reading, thinking about, and engaging with the story. I can't ask for more than that. Not to worry, there's no Snape/Artemis romance coming. Like Sirius, Artemis reminds him of Regulus Black, and Snape isn't quite sure what to do with her. He's a complex character, and I honestly don't know what I'm going to do with him yet, if anything. Regarding Remus and Artemis sleeping together I think it was a frustrated desire, hope vs. hopelessness, implosion. Artemis absolutely regrets it, and if Remus completely remembered what happened he would regret it too. And it is certainly terrifying that hours of your life can go missing because you're using alcohol to try and make yourself feel better or loosen up or whatever. Regarding Chapter 10, for this story I maybe did make him more angry than he is in the books. I think given a different set of life circumstances, Remus wouldn't be violent at all, but he's been forced by the war to become so. I think he's under a huge amount of stress, and he doesn't trust Sirius to have a level head about this girl that's living there, and so he's trying to be extra vigilant about keeping an eye on her. The only experience they have with dealing with spies is Snape, who's as stiff and unapproachable as you can get, and Peter, who was their best friend who turned on them. So yes, Remus wants her to care, but he's afraid, and he lashed out. I think the key is that Remus didn't trust her, and she pulled her wand on him. For all he knew, she could have been luring him into a trap of some kind. And it was basically an accident. Sirius surprised him, and he still had a hold of her wrist. Regarding Chapter 11, thanks! I completely agree with you about Remus/Tonks. Granted, we're kind of seeing it all through teenage Harry's perspective, but I thought she came across as a little immature in the books. I tried to explore that a little further in Chapter 19. Tonks' mother threw over her family and way of life to marry a Muggleborn, so I could see Tonks just deciding, "I love him, and we're going to be together no matter what, so there." I tried to make Artemis optimistic about Remus' condition, but more informed and clearheaded about what it entails. Thanks again for reading and sharing your thoughts!


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25 ~ August, 1996

Jane Novak watched in concern as her new helper, and the reservation's newest resident, trudged dejectedly through the door of the dining hall. She'd hoped Artemis was making progress settling in, but the news of her pregnancy seemed to set her back. Jane shook her head. It was time for a little tough love.

"Sweetie, come here for a minute," she called to Artemis before the woman could disappear into the kitchen. "You and I need to have a little chat."

Artemis tried to muster up a smile. She liked Jane, really she did. The spicy woman reminded Artemis of Rhoda from the old Mary Tyler Moore Show on TV. While she worked, Jane always wore a bright scarf over the kinky black curls she'd said were a gift from her Jewish family. Away from work the wild hair danced around her face, refusing to be tamed, even with Sleekeazy's Hair Potion.

"What's up, Jane?" Artemis asked.

"I'm worried about you, and I thought it might help if we talked a little," Jane said bluntly.

Artemis hesitated. "I'm trying…I really am. But I just feel so numb about everything."

Jane's face softened. "You're depressed. It's completely understandable with the shock of the situation on top of the hormones. But, please know we've all been in your shoes, honey. We've all been the new kid, completely overwhelmed with what's happened to us. And we've all had to come to terms with an undesirable situation. We can help you if you'll let us."

Artemis closed her eyes and let out a small sigh. Great. Now she felt selfish on top of all the other emotions. Of course these people had gone through just as much pain and loss as she had – more even.

Jane smiled and patted her hand. "Now, before we do anything else, you are going to have something to eat. I knew you weren't eating much here, but then Oscar told Kieran you hadn't been coming to the storehouse for food either, so Kieran was harping on me to look after you better. Have you been having any morning sickness?"

"Just first thing when I wake up in the morning," she whispered. "It goes away if I eat some crackers."

"Well consider yourself lucky," Jane smiled. "I was sick all day long every day for twelve weeks. It was horrific." Artemis was ridiculously annoyed to find herself wiping away tears again. Jane rose from her chair and came around to give Artemis a long hug. "Now you sit here while I dish you up some food. Ellie said you're having a girl?"

Artemis dug a tissue out of her pocket and wiped her eyes, nodding. "I…uh…yeah, I guess so." She buried her face in her arms against the wooden tabletop, trying to give herself an internal pep talk. Several minutes later she hadn't convinced herself to look up, and the sound of chairs scraping across the old linoleum floor told her it was too late. The others arrived for breakfast, and Jane began setting out platters of food and pots of tea and coffee. Artemis reluctantly raised her head and found every seat at the table filled and eighteen faces watching her – some curious, but most concerned. She cleared her throat uncomfortably and looked back down at the table.

A soft Irish voice floated down the table to her, "We're all very glad you decided to join us this morning, Artemis. We've been worried about you."

Artemis looked up at Ellie, and managed to smile a little sheepishly. "I know. I've been kind of…hiding. I haven't been dealing with things very well."

"Well," said Kieran, a smile softening his gruff voice. "I think it's time you met everyone. We're a family, not a work camp."

The large table sat six down each side and four across the ends. Artemis tried to smile and acknowledge each person as they one by one told her their names and a tidbit of their own story. "Oscar Rodriguez," said a suave, dark haired man with a slight accent. "My wife, Rosa, and I are originally from Peru, and have lived here for twenty-five years. I manage the supply storehouse, and Rosa assists Hawthorne with teaching the _niños_." He gestured toward a tall man with a bushy grey beard.

"Hawthorne Endress," nodded the tall man. "I study medieval history and teach the younger residents, and I've lived here for eleven years…My wife and sons live off-res in Colorado," he added, almost as an afterthought.

"We're the _niños_ ," offered a pretty blonde teenager, sitting beside Artemis. "I'm Isabel Rosier, and down this side is my sister, Catherine, then Gareth Travers, Daisy Parkinson, and Joshua Wilkes. We've all lived here for almost fifteen years now."

Jane, who was sitting beside Hawthorne, gave Artemis an encouraging smile. "Jane Novak, best rugelach baker west of the Bronx. I've lived here for ten years and my family also lives off-res."

Artemis' smile faltered a little. She'd been working with Jane for weeks and hadn't bothered to try and get to know her at all. Who had she left behind? Artemis tried to focus again, as the shorter, well-muscled man with the shaved head next to Jane had started to speak.

"Xander Bryant. Me and my brother, Xavier, are No-Maj. Um…we're former thieves. Got turned ten years ago when we made the mistake of trying to rob Kieran's business on a full moon. I'm pretty good with logistics, always planned the jobs, so I help Oscar with the supplies. Xavier's an electrician." The man Xander pointed to was also well-built, but he had curly, reddish gold hair and was covered in tattoos. Artemis recognized him as one of the men who'd helped reinforce her bathroom.

Xavier nodded a greeting. "Hezekiah and me work on getting the 'lectrical stuff and the magic stuff to mesh," he added softly. "So we got radios, power tools, and some cookin' appliances, but haven't figured out the vacuums yet."

Beside Xander sat an exquisitely lovely and poised black woman. She studied Artemis with slightly narrowed eyes before giving her a brief nod. Artemis gave a slight nod in return and lowered her eyes to the table top. Alma Thomas. She'd been an Auror with MCUSA, and had been turned by the same werewolf that bit Apollo. Artemis couldn't help the guilt that washed over her. The rogue werewolf had escaped when she and Apollo went after it, and Alma's team had been the next group called to track it down. The strange man was working as a mail carrier, and Alma had found and killed him, but not before she'd been bit. Artemis gave herself a mental shake to cut off the chorus of what ifs rolling through her mind.

"Alma and I are both former Aurors. Since we turned ourselves in we were allowed to keep our wands, and work security here – patrols and reinforcing the wards to keep any curious No-Maj away." The blonde man with ice blue eyes smiled. "I'm Marcus Peterson. I've lived here for about twelve years now. Have you been the one making the chocolate muffins? Yours are far better than Jane's." His eyes twinkled and he winked at Jane teasingly.

"I'd like to see her best my rugelach," muttered Jane, shooting Marcus a half-hearted glare.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's my turn now," interrupted a young black man. He'd been the other man who'd worked on Artemis' house. "I'm Hezekiah Walker, ma'am, former chaser of the Southwest Spitfires. My Quadpot career was cut tragically short five years ago when I ran into a werewolf before an away game in Portland. Now I help Tweedledum get his ragtag No-Maj electrical junk to work better."

The tattooed Xavier just snorted and shook his head. "I'm Elspeth Finley," piped a warbly voice from the end of the table. "Reservation's oldest resident. I've been here since nineteen thirty-five. Was training to be an Auror and had a run-in with a werewolf during Grindlewald's uprising. You can call me Nana." Artemis smiled at the soft, heavy-set woman with a wand stuck behind her ear.

"And you can call me Grams," said the fragile-looking woman next to Elspeth. "I'm Lois Evans, of Birmingham, Alabama. Also a No-Maj. Back in 'fifty-five I was running away from some white men in sheets and ran straight into a werewolf. He got one bite in before those Klansmen showed up. They must have tasted better than I did, 'cause I woke up here and they told me there weren't nothing left of them but an arm or a leg here and there."

Nana nodded sagely, "The hearts who thrive in darkness will get what's coming to them. Me and Lois here have been running the place since she came in 'fifty-five. But we let Kieran think he's in charge," she added with a whisper.

"Yes," said Kieran dryly. "I'm aware…"

"Wolf," interjected Artemis without thinking, then blushed and stared down at her plate.

The girl called Daisy giggled and Kieran rolled his eyes. "Lovely, another one who likes bad wolf jokes."

Artemis bit her lip trying to hold back her own laugh. "Don't you mean big bad wolf jokes?"

The rest of the table erupted in equal parts groans and laughter. As the sounds died away, Artemis realized that everyone was looking at her, waiting for her introduction. She blushed and looked down at the table again, before clearing her throat and straightening up. "I'm Artemis Scamander," she said clearly. "I'm not a werewolf, but my brother was. I was sent here because I didn't turn him in."

"And you expect an _hija_ ," interjected Rosa eagerly, a bright smile lighting up her face.

"That means daughter," Isabel whispered to Artemis. "Rosa loves children. She has been our _mamá_ since we arrived."

Artemis took a deep breath to fight off the now expected sensation of being overwhelmed at the thought of a baby and a werewolf reservation and being so far from home, but…it didn't happen. She looked around the table at the new faces and felt peaceful. These people were taking her in, regardless of who she was or what she'd done. For the first time since she arrived Artemis smiled a bright natural smile. "Thank you…for giving me time to adjust. And yes," she said, nodding at Rosa, "Ellie says it's a girl."

Rosa clapped her hands excitedly and launched into a stream of Spanish at Oscar. He smiled affectionately at her and nodded, playing with the black waves of hair that hung down her back. Isabel leaned over again. "She's giving Oscar a list of all the things he'll need to order before the baby comes."

"All right, eat hearty y'all," called Grams from the end of the table. "All this chatter won't get the work done." A rumble of other conversations broke out as plates and cups were passed and filled and silverware clinked. Artemis, feeling hungry for the first time in weeks, dug in.

* * *

Sirius looked over the old woman standing in his front hallway critically. "Well, I suppose you'll do."

"Shut it, Black. My own mother wouldn't recognize me, and you know it," Lina answered, the words raspy and bizarre sounding from the wrinkled old mouth with a slash of pink lipstick across it.

"Very true," he acknowledged, studying her. Finally he shook his head, "Nope, I can't do it."

Lina sighed, "Can't do what?"

"Can't kiss you good-bye," he answered with a charming grin. "You're hideous."

"Well who says I was going to let you?" Lina scowled up at him, but the image of the tiny old woman trying to look threatening was too much. Sirius laughed out loud and kissed her cheek.

"Good luck my little Vixen," he whispered.

Lina tried the scowl again. "Look, just because that's my nickname doesn't mean you have permission to use it. And even if you did it wouldn't make me yours."

"We'll see about that, Miss Bingley," Sirius said smugly. "I've been told I'm a highly determined individual."

Lina cracked a smile in spite of herself. "You're a piece of work, Black. Tell Lupin I'll send any information on Artemis as soon as I have it."

Sirius nodded and hefted her suitcase down the front steps to the waiting taxi. If the taxi driver was momentarily confused as to how he missed the old lady and her son coming out of Number Ten, when they suddenly appeared beside his cab, he passed it off as simply being too early in the morning.

The driver watched the son help the old woman into the car and place the suitcase in the boot. He then leaned toward the open window and gave the woman a cheeky grin. "Don't forget to use the mirror, Granny." Catching the driver's eye, he added, "She has trouble plucking her chin hairs."

The cab driver snorted in the surprise as the old woman shot the younger man a two fingered salute and rolled up the window. "Well, what are you waiting for?" she snapped at the driver. "Heathrow Airport. I have a flight to catch." The driver shook his head in amusement and and pulled away from the curb.

* * *

Artemis huffed in frustration and pushed her sweaty hair off her face. "How are you finding so many?" she called to Jane.

Jane shrugged. "Just practice. You have to know their favorite spots. And you're still too timid – sometimes you have to give them a little push off the nest."

Artemis scrunched her face up in determination and approached the next sitting hen. The hen tried to give her a sharp peck as she stretched out her hand toward the nest. Artemis' hand shot out in irritation and shoved the hen backwards. Utterly offended, the hen squawked and launched herself at Artemis' face, wings flapping relentlessly. Artemis shrieked and fell backwards.

Jane and the younger girls, who were weeding the vegetable garden beside the chicken coop, tried unsuccessfully not to laugh at her. "You'll get the hang of it eventually," Jane said, coming over and gave her a hand up. "All right, that's enough, girls," she called over the fence. "Go get cleaned up."

The girls gathered up their tools and headed for the shed. Jane and Artemis picked up the egg baskets and headed over to the kitchen. "So are you ready for our little homemade hoe down?" Jane asked with a snarky grin.

Artemis grinned, brushing off her clothes. "I think it's wonderful that you have music and dancing every Saturday. I heard Isabel practicing the other day. She's amazing!"

Jane nodded. "She's very talented. The others are good too, but they have to work at it a little more. Music just seems to flow out of Isabel."

Artemis glanced around as if she was worried someone might be listening. "Why are there so many teenagers here? And they've been here for so long…what happened that caused so many children to become infected all at one time?"

Jane glanced around too and lowered her voice. "You were in England before you came here, right?"

Artemis nodded.

"Is it true what they said in the paper? That some terrorist is back in power?"

Artemis frowned and nodded. "He's called Voldemort. The last information I had he was trying to regroup with his followers and recruit. The papers indicated that some of his top rung were arrested the night they broke into the Ministry. I don't think he's quite strong enough to take power just yet, but now it's open rebellion over there. They're building up to a civil war…But what does he have to do with the kids?"

Jane looked angry. "He's the reason they're werewolves. Rosa told me that back around 1980, their parents offered them to this guy to form some sort of werewolf army. Their families either thought they were squibs or figured they had enough children that it was worth it to sacrifice one. After the guy lost power their families wouldn't acknowledge the children any more, and Britain was terrified to have that many young werewolves on the loose with no one who wanted them. So the Ministry got in touch with MCUSA and asked if they could send the kids to one of the reservations. So here they are. Oscar and Rosa pretty much adopted them. I mean, not legally or anything, but besides them, Grams and Nana were the only other ones here, so they had to step up and be the parents. This res had the fewest people at the time, so that's why they all the kids came here. That's what happened with Ellie and Finn too. Her husband gave Finn over to start a new werewolf army. So Ellie fled the country and applied for amnesty here."

Artemis' eyes were wide with shock. "That's…that's horrific. I've dealt with a lot of terrible people and terrible situations, but…" She suddenly looked very sad, and tried to hide an unexpected tear by swiping at her sticky, sweaty hair again. "I was going to stay and fight," she said softly. "I'd planned to quit my job and my, um…my friends were part of this underground movement against Voldemort. I was going to fight with them."

Jane smiled at her sympathetically. "You know we're not exactly overwhelmed with entertainment options here. So we have nights we might dance, or nights we all play music and sing, or nights we take turns reading books aloud. We're about to start _The Lord of the Rings_ again. Have you ever read it?"

Artemis nodded. "Once, several years ago."

"So the old wizard, Gandalf tells the little Hobbit, Frodo, that all we can decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. That's sort of been our motto here, I guess. None of us really wanted this to happen, but we do the best we can under the circumstances."

"What was your life like…before?" asked Artemis cautiously.

Jane shrugged. "I'm a city girl, not a country girl, so all the gardening and livestock and stuff I learned here. But my husband and I ran a small deli in a wizarding neighborhood in New York. So, the cooking for lots of people isn't too different."

"How does it work? With your husband, I mean? Hawthorne mentioned he had a wife and sons somewhere else too."

"Yeah, our situations are similar. After I was infected, my husband couldn't handle it. The stigma was too much, so he filed for divorce. The putz is married to Miriam Rosenfeld by now. Hawthorne…" Jane sighed, and her voice softened noticeably. "Hawthorne's wife tried to support him. She wrote letters and tried to come visit. But the government doesn't want to make it easy. They pretty much just want us to kill each other off as quickly as possible. So applying for visitation is hard and she kept getting turned down. It all just took its toll on her. So one day Hawthorne wrote and told her it would be easier if she told their sons that he was dead, and to forget about him and move on. There haven't been any letters since then, but she's never divorced him either."

"What about your son?"

"Joel. He's thirteen, but he probably doesn't remember too much about me. He was just three when I came here. I tried to hide it, but somebody turned me in." Jane shook her head and brushed her hands off on her jeans. "That's enough drama for one day. Tonight's dancing. Are you ready?"

Artemis grimaced. "My last night out dancing didn't go that well."

"Oh, that's all right," said Jane. "I didn't even know how to dance at first. You'll learn. It's not too schmaltzy either – mostly square dances and some swing. Hawthorne even taught us some ancient court dance or something one time. Or you can always just help with music if you play or sing. Come on, let's get cleaned up before dinner. Dancing nights we try to dress up a little…keep things interesting," she said, waggling her eyebrows.

Artemis laughed and grabbed the egg basket, following Jane back up to the kitchen. "Jane, listen," she began as they entered the darkened room and set the basked on the counter beside the sink. "I know…I know you, all of you, can't have children. And Ellie said if I didn't think I could raise a child that one of you would be happy to do it. Can you tell me who's the best choice if I decide…? I mean…I don't know what to do. I always wanted to be a mother, but…not like this. I don't even know if I can tell the father about it. That's messed up, right?"

Jane was very quiet for a long moment, staring down at the floor. When she finally looked up her eyes were bright with tears. "I think you should keep her," she said firmly. "We will all help you, and I know it sounds backwards, but I promise you won't find a safer place to raise a child. I would do _anything_ to have my son back, and I cannot in good conscience recommend a mother giving up her child if she's capable of raising it. And you are more than capable. The fact that you're even questioning whether you'd be a good one shows you're better than some."

* * *

Remus stepped into Twelve Grimmauld Place out of the clinging mist, and shrugged off his cloak. "Sirius, I'm back!" he called. Remus ran a hand through his damp hair and trudged tiredly toward the stairs.

Sirius came out of his studio and leaned over the stair rail. "How bad was it?"

"Bad. It was giants, and we were almost too late. The place was a mess. Awful injuries. The Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes is putting out to the Muggle newspapers that it was a hurricane."

Sirius just shook his head as he came down the steps, and the two of them headed further down to the kitchen. Sirius started tea, flicking on the radio as he passed it, and Remus sat in a rocking chair by the fire.

 _Was a time I was his only one  
_ _But now I'm the sad and lonely one, lonely  
_ _Was I gay, till today  
_ _Now he's gone and we're through  
_ _Am I blue_

"It hasn't played anything other than the song today," Sirius said, sounding slightly apologetic. "But Arthur stopped by and said they finally got Fudge to step down." Sirius grabbed the kettle as it whistled and poured the water over the tea leaves. "Rufus Scrimgeour is the new Minister. Do you know him? Ex-Auror. Kind of looks like a lion."

Remus yawned and nodded. "Kingsley told me. He also told me Scrimgeour remembered you from when you first started training to be an Auror. He's going to try and push through the paperwork for your pardon."

"Brilliant!" cried Sirius, throwing back his head. "I can finally get out of this house and do something useful."

Remus smirked slightly. "Moody wants you to train some before they send you out. He's worried you're too out of practice."

"Psh, out of practice. I'm in great form! Didn't you tell him we've been sparring."

"No. I thought it would be more fun to watch you have to duel Mad-Eye."

Sirius made a face at him, before remembering something. "Emmeline's dead," he said soberly. "Mad-Eye found her this morning after she hadn't checked in."

Remus stared at him. "Wasn't she on Harry's detail this week? Is he ok?"

"Yeah, yeah he's fine. They must have followed her after her shift was over. Dumbledore picked up Harry last night, and he's supposed to drop him off at the Burrow this morning after speaking with Slughorn about coming back as Potions Master."

"I suppose that means Snape will finally get DADA likes he's always wanted."

"But will it stand for teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts or Devoted Adoration of the Dark Arts?" asked Sirius making a disgusted face. "By the way, Molly's asked us for dinner."

Remus nodded, yawning again. "Very well. She probably wants some buffer between Fleur and the rest of them. Arthur said things have been pretty tense since she showed up, and Molly keeps asking Tonks to come 'round, hoping Bill will take an interest in her instead."

Sirius chuckled. "I remember seeing Fleur during the TriWizard Tournament. She's a spicy little thing…driving Molly bonkers I'm sure. And I don't really see Tonks with Bill. She's too down-to-earth, and Bill goes for a bit of glamour I think… Maybe Charlie though…I wonder when he's due for a visit?"

Remus just shook his head. "You're such a busybody."

Sirius shrugged. "I'm a little light on entertainment with my two favorite witches out of town."

Remus frowned. He knew Sirius treated the situation lightly out of his incurable optimism, but he didn't understand what it meant to be with a werewolf pack. The claws of fear and anger rose up and gripped his chest. "I'm knackered," he said, suddenly standing. "I'm going to have a kip before dinner."

Sirius watched him leave the room and sank glumly down at the table with his tea. "Please take care of her," he whispered the uncertain prayer. "If anybody's up there…bring her back for him…please."

* * *

** Thanks for reading! Guest, I'll be interested to see if you think the pregnancy plot line works by the time we get to the end or not. :) I'm not sure if I would say I like complicated plot lines across the board, but once I started wondering about how Americans would deal with werewolves it sort of snowballed. And by snowball I mean avalanche. If they're imprisoned on a reservation how many people would live there? What's a reasonable guess on the statistics for lycanthropy infections in the UK compared to the wizarding population? What does that make the infection rate in the US? And what would that lifestyle even look like? Why would Voldemort want to recruit werewolves anyway when the book says Greyback's ultimate goal is actually the overthrow of wizards? If the US is locking up all the werewolves, then they sure wouldn't let any foreign born werewolves into the country. So if Remus couldn't help, who could? How would Remus feel about being unable to help? Which all turned into how many OCs can I put in a story and still keep it moving enough to maintain everyone's interest? lol I guess we shall see... ;) You are all amazingly awesome for hanging in there!


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26 ~ September, 1996

"Miss Laurent, you do understand that we are perfectly within our rights to ship you back to the UK today? The Alien Act of 1798 states that all such aliens as the President shall judge dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States, or shall have reasonable grounds to suspect are concerned in any treasonable or secret machinations against the government thereof, are required to depart out of the territory of the United States. While we cannot prove that you were involved in the 1990 Appalachian Mountain Troll incident or the 1992 Obliviation Fiasco in Seattle, there is clearly enough suspicion for you to be judged dangerous and deported immediately."

Lina perked up a little at that. He hadn't even mentioned the 1989 Okefenokee Grindylow Massacre or the 1991 Great Lake Mermaid Uprising, she smirked to herself. She was pretty darn good at her job. "You are well aware that I worked with both Artemis Scamander and her brother, Apollo, when I interned with MCUSA, and became friends with them. The Scamander Family informed me that their daughter was recently imprisoned, and I simply came to visit them and express my condolences. You can check with them; I was planning to arrive this evening."

"We've already been in touch with the Scamanders," he said curtly. "If this was just a social visit, why did you not choose to arrive by more traditional means?"

"And be instantly obliviated or incarcerated the moment I landed at the Apparation Site?" Lina replied raising her eyebrows incredulously. "No thank you. I was simply planning to pop in and pop out again for a social visit. I merely intended to avoid any unpleasantness by traveling incognito. It clearly didn't work."

"Clearly," he huffed back at her. "Well, you will be remanded to a local facility for a short time while we investigate your claim."

Lina bit a broken edge of her nail thoughtfully as she paced out the length of the cell. _You are not under arrest, per say, we're just checking your story._ Bloody bureaucrats. Lina was relieved she'd thought to reach out to the Scamanders before she'd arrived. At least they would back up the story that she was here to visit and not on a job. She smiled grimly, remembering that this was probably only the second time she'd arrived in the country to actually do what she claimed she was here to do…partially. Hopefully they wouldn't keep her dangling here long.

* * *

"That was kind of fun for my first official mission with the Order," said Sirius brightly, as they entered Grimmauld Place after dropping Harry and the others off at the station for their new school year. He glanced at Remus, who wasn't even listening, a dark, brooding expression on his face.

"Moony, what's wrong?" he asked, touching him lightly on the arm.

"Dumbledore asked me to liaison with the werewolf pack…undercover," Remus responded in a flat voice.

" _Oh._ "

"That's it? This is the thing that finally has you at a loss for words?" Remus remarked caustically.

"You know you don't have to do everything he asks you to do, right?" Sirius responded cautiously.

"Don't I? I owe him, Sirius, you know that. It doesn't really matter anyway. I don't really mind dying for the Order, I'd just rather it not be at the hands of another werewolf."

"I wrote her a letter," Sirius blurted out.

Remus froze for a split second before turning to fix Sirius with a scowl. "It was the strangest thing…" Sirius stumbled on, "Kreacher put it in the post this morning after we left with the kids. He thought I intended for him to go to America and give it to her, and started arguing with himself about polluting the _Noble House of Black_ with half breed children and helping _Poor Mistress_ and finally ended up in tears over _Brave Master Regulus_. It took ages for me to convince him he only needed to drop it in the box for the International Post at the Ministry. I addressed it to Artemis Scamander, Werewolf Reservation, USA, so maybe the seemingly omniscient birds can figure it out. I just signed it Snuffles, so it shouldn't get back to us. Hopefully we'll hear something soon…" he trailed off.

Remus inhaled and exhaled slowly through his nose. "Don't, Sirius," he finally said in a soft voice. "Just let it alone. Lina has been gone for weeks. We've haven't been able to find out anything at all. Just let me let her go." He trudged slowly up the stairs.

"Moony, please don't give up," Sirius called after him. "Just…don't…don't do anything reckless." Remus didn't turn around or acknowledge him. "Please," he whispered to the dark staircase, "I can't lose you again."

* * *

Artemis and Ellie rocked back and forth slowly in the creaky chairs on the front porch. The ice in their tea glasses clinked as they sipped periodically.

"You realize this is practically treason?" Ellie said, laughing suddenly. "No self-respecting citizen of the British Isles would dare drink iced tea."

Artemis laughed with her, then stopped suddenly, placing her hand over her abdomen. "Oh!" she said softly, a confused smile lighting up her face. "It feels like popcorn popping."

Ellie smiled. "That's a precious moment, the first time to feel your baby move. As she grows you'll notice her moving more at certain times. Finn was always wide awake and kicking just as I was ready to go to sleep."

"I still haven't told him," Artemis said softly, "…her father, I mean."

Ellie quickly tried to mask her shock as Artemis glanced at her. "Do you think he'll be disappointed? Or are you afraid?" Ellie asked gently. "I certainly understand what it's like to be afraid of the father of your child…" she finished, almost in a whisper, "even if you love him."

Artemis shook her head, her heart grieving Ellie's pain. "No, I'm not afraid. He's a good and kind man. It's just…it was a one-night stand, and we were drunk, so neither of us even remember it. And I love him, and I think deep down he might even love me a little, but…he will feel sooooo guilty. Truly guilt that is far out of proportion to the situation. And there is so much going on over there now, that I don't want to distract him."

A sharp crack interrupted whatever Ellie might have been going to say, and Artemis stared in astonishment as Kreacher appeared on the grass in front of her and collapsed in a small heap. She leaped from her chair and jumped down the two small front steps to him. She gently turned him onto his back, and Kreacher blinked up at her as he drew in great gasping breaths. "Kreacher, are you all right? How on earth did you get here? Ellie, can you check him?" Artemis asked, turning to see Ellie standing just off to the side, her wand out and pointed directly at the old house elf. "Ellie?"

"He belongs to the Blacks doesn't he?" Ellie asked in a furious voice, visibly trembling. "How could you be involved with that family?"

Artemis turned to position herself between Ellie and Kreacher. "Ellie, Kreacher isn't dangerous… he…"

"No," Ellie cut her off, trembling. "You can't trust this elf, Artemis. I remember seeing him in the last war. Voldemort used him…"

"Ellie, what are you talking about?"

Ellie took a shaky breath, still holding her wand out defensively. "I was just a little girl. My…my parents took me to a dinner at the Malfoy Estate. They're one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight pureblood families. We were just about to go into dinner when Vol…Voldemort appeared. He threw this elf down at the feet of one of the young men there. He belonged to Regulus Black, and their entire family supported the Dark Lord!"

At those words, Kreacher burst into loud sobbing tears. "B…br…brave Master!" he wailed in his croaking voice. "Kreacher tried to save him…b…bu…but Brave Master Regulus…sss…sent Kreacher away. The Dark Lord's magic killed him!" He curled up in a pitiful ball on the ground and wept.

Artemis rubbed small circles on Kreacher's back, her eyebrows drawn together in a frown. "Shhh…shhh, Kreacher. It's all right. Can you…can you tell me about Brave Regulus? He must have loved you very much to send you away from danger."

Kreacher sniffed and tried to stop weeping. Artemis helped him into a sitting position; dirt, and tears and snot trailed down his face as he looked intently into her eyes. "Kreacher was given to the Dark Lord to perform an important task, and Kreacher was nearly killed. Master Regulus was sorry he had aided the Dark Lord, and he asked Kreacher to come with him and undo the dark magic Kreacher had helped with. But Kreacher could not do it…" he began to sob again, clinging to Artemis' shirt. "Brr…brave Master Regulus drank the potion, and Kreacher could not get him away from the water. He ordered poor Kreacher away to destroy the locket, but Kreacher could not. Kreacher failed his Master!" he ended in a wail.

Artemis patted him, soothingly as he cried, glancing at Ellie in confusion. Ellie still looked wary, but had dropped her wand arm, and shrugged uncertainly at Artemis. "I never saw Regulus after that night. I don't remember anyone saying what happened to him. But I was only eight years old." Her eyes narrowed at Artemis again. "How does he know you?"

"I was living at the Black Family home in London. Regulus' brother, Sirius, was part of the group fighting against Voldemort that I worked with."

Ellie looked confused. "I thought Sirius Black was a Death Eater. His whole family followed the Dark Lord. And…he was in Azkaban for killing a lot of Muggles and then escaped from prison a few years ago…"

Artemis shook her head vehemently. "He was set up. Voldemort had an undercover agent embedded with the resistance group. The agent killed those Muggles and Sirius took the fall."

Ellie sat down heavily on the front steps of the porch. "I'm sorry," she said slowly. "Seeing him…remembering the Malfoy's house, just triggered something in me…That was where we were when Claudius gave our Finn over to the werewolf."

"Oh, Ellie, that's terrible! I'm so sorry. Please, you don't have to apologize for reacting that way." The strange trio sat silently on the ground for several minutes, each trying to get their tears under control.

Kreacher finally sat up a little, pulled his knees up to his chin and wrapped his arms around his legs, rocking quietly back and forth. "Kreacher has brought a letter from Master Sirius," he said, pulling a wrinkled envelope from the belt around his dirty shift.

"I didn't know he could send you all this way!" exclaimed Artemis.

Kreacher began to rock back and forth again, tugging hard on his long ears. "Master Sirius said he had a letter for Mistress Artemis. Kreacher wasn't sure he could make the journey, so Master Sirius said to bring the letter to the post box at the Ministry. Kreacher did not obey his Master, but Kreacher wanted to…make sure Miss Artemis was safe. Mistress Artemis reminds Kreacher of Master Regulus. She looks at Kreacher with kind eyes." He began to box his own ears as he cried out, "But Kreacher has not obeyed!"

Artemis gently grabbed his hands and held them still. "Kreacher, did Sirius say he wanted you to mail a letter to me before he said to take it to the Ministry?" Kreacher nodded.

"Then you did obey his first statement. It's called Restricted Delivery, where the person delivering the letter has to make sure that only the correct person receives it."

Kreacher nodded again and pulled out a piece of fabric that had been tied to his belt. "Kreacher has brought a gift for Mistress Artemis and the Half-Breed's child," he said in his raspy growl.

Artemis stared at him wide-eyed. "How…how did you know about the baby?" she whispered.

"Kreacher heard it on the radio in the kitchen."

"My radio? What exactly did you hear?"

"Kreacher heard Mistress say the child's father was the werewolf but she could not tell him. Kreacher has kept the secret, and has brought Mistress a gift," he added, holding out the decaying fabric.

Artemis took the fabric and spread it out on the ground, trying to understand. When she realized it was a green baby outfit, very old and the seams beginning to rot away, her eyes filled with tears again. "Did this belong to Master Regulus?" she asked gently.

Kreacher nodded. "It belonged to both young Masters," he said, petting the fabric softly.

Ellie was watching the scene in disbelief. A House Elf didn't change allegiance unless they had no legitimate Master or Mistress. But here Kreacher was behaving as if Artemis had every right to expect obedience from him. Artemis took a deep breath and tried to understand what in the world was going on.

"Can you hear me on the radio often?"

Kreacher shook his head. "Mistress' radio plays one song over and over. Then once Kreacher has heard her, and once Master Sirius heard. Now Master Sirius and the Half Breed listen when the full moon is over. They listen to Mistress sing and talk to herself."

The thoughts were flying around her brain almost too fast to catch them. _They listen on the full moon? My wand! I can't use my wand and I can't transfigure. My magic must be tapped in to the radio. When I'm up all night and worried about Remus during the full moons…_

"Kreacher, do you know what Sirius heard on the radio?"

"Mistress was singing and then your letter came and they were all very sad."

"I only sent sent one letter to my friend, Lina… Is Lina there at Grimmauld Place?"

Kreacher nodded. "The Half Breed asked Mudblood Miss Lina to find you. She is gone three weeks now."

"Kreacher, how…how were you able to find me?"

The old elf suddenly looked frightened. "Kreacher is not certain," he said.

"He's aligned himself with you," said Ellie suddenly. "I didn't know that was possible, but his magic recognizes you as his mistress, in tandem with Black, apparently." She cocked her head and stared at the small creature, as though pondering a strange painting. "He still recognizes Black as his master, or he wouldn't have boxed his ears when he thought he'd disobeyed him. But he also recognizes you as his mistress, or he wouldn't have been able to find you. House Elves can apparate to their owners at will, without knowing the location."

Artemis turned to Kreacher, her eyes wide with surprise. "Ok," she said slowly. "Kreacher, why don't you come inside and rest while I read Sirius' letter. Then later when you feel better you can go home."

After making Kreacher a little pallet to sleep on in a corner of the kitchen (he'd refused to lie down on the sofa,) Artemis unfolded the parchment and smiled at Sirius' neat, formal handwriting.

 _Darling Kitten,_

 _We miss you. I'd thought to try and make it more flowery, but that is the simple truth. We received your letter via your friend. Why did you keep her a secret, by the way? She's scrumptious! I know life is full of strange coincidences, but your very own Vixen was the agent hired to find me just before Moony and I moved back here. She has been reluctant to succumb to my charms, but fear not! I am wearing her down. She stayed here with us for a bit, and is currently trying to find you. We haven't heard anything from her in quite a while, but I remain hopeful._

 _Moony, however, is having a difficult time. Hearing that you were thrown to the wolves has him rather frightened. I don't know if this letter will reach you, or if you are able to respond, but if there is any possible way to let him know you are all right, please do. I know you didn't leave on the best terms with him, but he does care about you, truly._

 _Vixen says you are doing well because of what we can hear through your radio. You're quite the devious little witch not letting on that its music reflects your emotions. I'm sure I could have used that to my advantage somehow. I don't know if you intended to leave it with us, but I'm grateful you did. We've heard Put On A Happy Face each Sunday like clockwork. Maybe you didn't know it would work this way, but once the three of us heard your voice singing the morning after a full moon. Mostly it plays the same song over and over again, so I think you can only make it do more when your magic builds up or if you're feeling exceptionally emotional. Now that you know that, maybe you can try to talk to us some more._

 _I'm going to ask K to deliver this. I think he misses you too. I hope the International Post can figure out how to get it to you since I don't know which reservation you're on. We tried looking in American newspapers for information about your trial, but never saw anything. Vixen says they were probably trying to cover it up. It's been months now without a scrap of news, so if this does make it to you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE send a letter right away. I promise not to pick fights with Snivellus if you do!_

 _Your Incorrigible Old Dog,_

 _Snuffles_

Artemis brushed away a few tears as she read the letter through again. Merlin, she missed him! Why hadn't she written before? Her rollercoaster emotions and fears felt so silly in retrospect. Scrambling around for parchment and a pen, Artemis sat down at the small kitchen table to write her reply.

 _My silly, sweet Snuffles,_

 _I miss you and Moony desperately, and I'm glad you miss me too. That sounds selfish, but I know there are bigger things to worry about than just me over there, and I'm just really glad you think about me too. You will be shocked to know K was able to deliver your letter in person! I'm not certain how that worked (another person here had a theory about K choosing allegiance to me and you simultaneously), but I am so grateful it did. And I am amazed you know Vixen! If I had realized that I would have made more of an effort to meet up with her while I was with you. I'm happy you recognize how great she is, since I know she can be standoffish. You will probably attribute that to her house affiliation, prejudiced thing that you are! I have not heard from her yet, but she always insists on doing things her own way. I'm sure she has the situation well in hand. I had no idea the radio would work like you say it has. I will try to do more than just a song on Sundays now. And I'm sure now that you know, it makes more sense that the radio switched songs for apparently no reason._

 _Regarding my new home, it is better than I could have possibly expected or even hoped for. If I hadn't met any of you guys, I would be as happy as a clam here, but alas my heart was left behind at that no-longer-grim-old-house. There are twenty of us here all together, and the people are great. Plenty of precautions are taken, more than I think are strictly necessary, which should make Moony happy. I would love to tell you all about my new friends, but I think caution with letters is still wise. I saw the little stag's picture in the paper. Looked like it was a rough time, so I'm very thankful you boys are safe._

 _Lots of love and hugs from your Wildcat_

 _P.S. I don't for one minute believe you will stop picking fights with Tall, Dark and Icy!_

* * *

Remus drew in a shaky breath as he added a few more things to the suitcase. He would leave first thing in the morning to approach the werewolf pack, and it would be an outright lie to say he hadn't been dreading this moment since the whispers of Voldemort's return reached his ears. The werewolf population in Great Britain was estimated at fewer than two dozen, and at least a third were solitary creatures, like himself and Nicolae Horváth's brother, Isak. But there was one group that could be considered a true pack. A community of around fifteen individuals currently lived along the north coast of Scotland, moving about periodically like the Horváth's Roma family. At least they had chosen the least populated area in the country, Remus thought grimly. He probably should have more compassion on them, though the fact that he had refolded the same shirt three times indicated that his anxiety was far outweighing his compassion. Remus had approached this same group almost seventeen years ago. The issue wasn't even that they were a tremendously great danger to the general population. They had put their own spells in place to secure their territory and kept very much to themselves, but the blood lust that arose with each full moon could only be sated by tearing through flesh, and the only flesh available to them was each other. Years ago, Remus had woken from a full moon with the pack to find himself and every other individual covered in blood. The pain of his own wounds was nothing compared to the utter disgust and guilt he felt seeing a body being dragged away and buried quietly. Most of the time everyone survived the full moon, sometimes they did not, and there was no way to know who had ultimately killed their fellow werewolf. The months where there happened to be unclaimed females were the worst to endure as the drive to secure a mate took over every other desire; never mind that the disease insured no offspring were possible. It felt like some kind of sick joke.

Taking a long swig from a bottle of firewhiskey, Remus tried to get a grip on his emotions. There was no reason this needed to be a repeat of his earlier assignment. He had been unaware of many things back then, but forewarned is forearmed. He would arrive the morning after a full moon, when everyone was at their weakest and most repulsed by their own nature. Perhaps then they would be more willing to listen to the tale of the potential future he would spin – a future where the Ministry, that he wasn't even representing, would provide the Wolfsbane potion for all of them, in gratitude for their service fighting against Voldemort; a future where their classification could be changed from XXX Dark Creatures in the Magical Beast Division, to a less dangerous ranking in the Magical Being Division. Remus sighed. That all felt like a ridiculous dream. He fully understood why they would hesitate to ally themselves with the Ministry, but he could not understand why they would choose to willingly ally themselves with Voldemort. The groups were two sides of the same coin. They would both use whatever means necessary to achieve victory, and right now they considered a united group of werewolves to be a powerful weapon. The way he saw it, if Voldemort was defeated, things might become marginally better for his kind. If Voldemort won, things would become worse for everyone all around. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would not tolerate allies he could not control.

Finally finished packing the small bag, Remus sat down at his desk and pulled a folded piece of parchment from his inside breast pocket. Reverently smoothing the creases, he read the words for what must have been the twentieth time…

 _R~_

 _So I just want you to know that I considered you my friend before I considered falling in love with you. And I will remain your friend, regardless of your feelings about the other thing. I wish I had cleared things up with you before I left, and I'm sorry so much of our last weeks together were so awkward._

 _But you know, when I think about you, I don't think about the awkwardness. I remember how you always keep your voice and movements calm to balance out Snuffles when he gets wound up. I remember the way your nose wrinkled up when I tried to convince you to eat a peanut butter sandwich. I remember how proud your eyes were when the kids told you over Christmas about the private lessons they were having with the little stag. I remember when you thought no one could hear you, you'd hum the song you sang with Snuffles the first time we went to the karaoke bar. I remember the first time you gave me a hint of an approving look when I told Mrs. W to apologize to Snuffles. I remember how your eyes would start laughing before you even smiled when I made some terrible wolf joke. I remember far too many cozy evenings eating chocolates and drinking tea by the kitchen fireplace. I always insisted on one last cup more than I needed because I wanted just a few more minutes with you. I remember how remorseful you looked the first time you had to apologize to me, and how compassionate you were later that evening hearing my story. I always appreciated that you sat there with me and held my hand until I fell asleep. Even though you didn't realize it, convincing you to trust me meant I had to be completely myself, and I am more grateful for that than you can possibly understand. Because even if we are only to remain friends, I know it is the real me that earned your trust and friendship._

 _Please know that I am safe here. Each of us is locked up individually each month. This res has had a perfectly clean record since 1956. Even you would be satisfied by the precautions they take. I wish I could be there fighting with you…fighting for you. I'm supposed to be free in five years. Maybe by then this war will be over and I can come visit you again. If it is not, I will come and fight like I promised. The book you gave me for Christmas said that your house was known for being brave of heart; exemplifying daring, nerve, and chivalry. Never doubt that this is where you truly belonged. Not because you bravely fight dark wizards, but because you bravely fight the darkest part of yourself. And I do not mean your furry little problem. I know you fight your own despair; you fight the hopelessness that tries to tell you things will never get better. You are truly courageous. There is more I would like to tell you, but it would be better in person. Until then, I remain always your friend._

 _A~_

Remus was well and truly a lost cause. He had held out some delusional hope that it would be possible to simply love her from afar, without the fear that he would ruin her life. But he missed her too desperately. Not knowing her fate had slowly torn him apart inside as he imagined a variety of terrible possibilities, but the truth had been almost too much to bear. Every horrific memory of his experiences with the werewolf pack came rushing back to him and aroused the werewolf side to such a state that August's full moon was a fiasco. Thankfully Lina had listened to his intuition and they reinforced his room with additional spells, and Padfoot was forbidden from joining him. The Wolfsbane potion had been completely ineffective that night, and Remus woke the next morning to find his shoulder broken and his door shattered from flinging himself against it to try and escape. Lina and Sirius had stood there through the night reinforcing the spells around the doorway. That alone was what kept him contained. He felt marginally better reading that each individual on the American reservation was locked up, but it was a cold comfort when what he really wanted was her to be here with him. For as much as he distrusted himself, Remus trusted all other werewolves even less.

* * *

** Thanks so much for all the reads, follows, and reviews! It is still kind of amazing to me that these crazy ideas that run through my head can in some way be captured and read around the world. Guest, Yes, the reservation is sort of a combo of the idea of Native American Reservations and WWII Japanese Internment Camps. Isolating people from families or communities because of sickness, as a punishment, or because of differing cultural/religious ideals is an old, old solution. I'm sorry you feel cheated by the pregnancy idea. I think, for me, I was trying to look at a storyline where the thing he most wanted to never happen is actually happening. You can let me know at the end if it works or if it didn't but the rest of the story made up for this part. ;)


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27 ~ September, 1996

Artemis looked at herself critically in the mirror, tracing some of her scars now stretching over the beginning of a baby bump. Ellie said the baby would be about the size of an apple right now. It was strange to think about. She didn't feel particularly pregnant, whatever that might mean. She felt normal, now that the little bit of morning sickness had stopped and her emotions were no longer taking her round and round the carousel of crazy. Of course there were the odd flutterings now and then, and her jeans were all too tight, so she'd taken to wearing longer t-shirts and just leaving them unbuttoned. But that outfit wouldn't work for this evening. No blue jeans or sneakers were allowed on dancing nights. Artemis sighed and finally grabbed a flower printed cotton dress with an empire waist, letting her fingers briefly run over the polka-dot dress she'd worn for Remus' birthday. That felt like a lifetime ago, rather than just six months.

Pulling a light weight sweater out of the drawer, she felt it catch on something. Digging around, she pulled out the ukulele the twins had given her for Christmas, a buttonhole of the sweater caught on a tuning peg. Artemis smiled at the funny little instrument, turning it over in her hands. She never had tried it out, certain they'd pranked it somehow, and decided this was as good a time as any. Wrapping herself in a towel, she took the ukulele into the bathroom and held it over the bathtub, pulling the curtain so only the instrument and her hands were exposed to minimize any mess or damage. Holding the neck in her left hand, her right tentatively gave it a strum, and then froze in amazement. Pouring out of the sound hole were pink bubbles.

* * *

As was usual, the men were already over at the dining hall while the women finished getting ready. Oscar shrank down the table while Kieran moved chairs into clusters around the edge of the room. Gareth and Joshua were setting up the instruments in one corner, and Hawthorne was putting out the trays of food and drinks that Jane and Artemis had prepared earlier.

Grabbing a cup of coffee, Xander sat with Xavier and Hezekiah, who had been talking in hushed voices.

"What's going on, boys?" he asked, tasting the coffee. "Jeez, I wish we could have beer. I've given up every other damn vice I had…I hardly even cuss anymore!" he added indignantly, making a face at the mug.

"I'm thinking about putting in for a transfer to the Northwest Res," Xavier abruptly stated.

Xander spit out his mouthful of coffee and Hezekiah slumped down in his chair, closing his eyes. "Man, don't spring it on people like that."

"What do you want to do that for?!" Xavier hissed, yanking a handkerchief out of his pocket and mopping up the coffee from the table.

Xavier didn't answer, his callused fingertips tapping the tabletop agitatedly. Hezekiah leaned towards Xander, dropping his voice lower. "It's because of Catherine," he said. "Oscar asked me to consider accepting a marriage arrangement with her this afternoon, and Xavier's gone all Romeo and Juliet over it."

"Don't be dramatic," Xavier muttered.

"A lovesick idiot killing himself? What else would you call it?" Xander interjected. "You know what that Southwest pack was like. You nearly died! We don't know anything about the Northwest, and now you're ready to go running off to it because of a girl!?"

"I can talk to Oscar," offered Hezekiah. "You've just played things too close to the chest. He probably doesn't even know you're interested in her."

Xavier shook his head stubbornly. "I'm a No-Maj, I was a criminal, and I'm thirteen years older than she is. He's never going to agree."

"I don't know why he can't just let her choose for herself," said Hezekiah. "I know there's a bit of a risk leaving them unclaimed, but everything else is different on this res, why not that part too?"

Xander smiled grimly. "Everything else may be different, but I doubt Oscar is willing to use his daughter as a test subject. I'm a little surprised he waited this long."

* * *

Catherine barely heard Isabel and Daisy chattering away as she studied the dresses in their closet. She knew why her heart felt so heavy, but she didn't really want to admit it to herself. Catherine loved her family and appreciated the life they had built here, but how she wished she hadn't turned twenty! The decision Oscar had been putting off for three years could be put off no longer. And she knew it wasn't something he took lightly. Since she turned seventeen, Catherine knew he had been observing and considering the men, but had not once asked for her opinion, and she hadn't been confident enough to offer one.

"Cat, what's wrong?" asked Daisy softly.

"Papá will be choosing soon," she answered reluctantly.

Isabel sat with a thump on the bed, her eyes wide. They'd all gotten the talk about unclaimed females and arranged marriages when they turned thirteen, but now that the time had actually come she suddenly felt nervous.

"So it's got to be between Hezekiah, Gareth, and Joshua right? They're the closest to our age." said Isabel after a moment.

"I think so," responded Catherine. "And I know they're good choices, I just… wondered…hoped maybe…"

"You wanted it to be someone else?" asked Daisy, biting her lip worriedly. For all they were sisters, this was one subject they never really talked about. It was just a little too much…to throw your hopes out there when you knew it may not matter in the end.

"So who gets who?" asked Isabel curiously.

Catherine shrugged. "He didn't tell me, just said it was time."

"Well," said Isabel, flopping back on the bed so her head landed in Daisy's lap, "either way it's going to be weird for a while isn't it? The dynamic changes. I think I was sort of hoping I'd fall passionately in love with one of them. You know…just to know what it feels like, but honestly they just feel like brothers. Maybe not Hezekiah so much...he hasn't been here as long, but Gareth and Josh have treated me like their kid sister my whole life."

"I think…I think it might hurt to be in love with one of them," said Daisy softly. "What if you don't get the one you fell in love with? Cat, do you…think you're in love with someone?"

Catherine frowned down at the bedspread, picking at a loose thread of the quilt. "I don't know," she said finally. "There's someone I wish I knew a little better…what he feels, how he thinks. I feel…anxious when I'm near him… but a happy kind of anxious, like waking up on your birthday. I wonder what it might be like to hold his hand, or have him put his arm around me and play with my hair, like Papá does with Mamá, or what it would be like to kiss him. But that's not really the same thing as loving someone enough to put up with them for the rest of your life is it, through all the hard stuff? I mean, look at Jane's husband, or Hawthorne's wife. Even Artemis…if she hadn't been in love I think she'd be perfectly happy here."

"Maybe if it's real love it's worth it?" said Isabel questioningly. "I mean…we're looking at it from the outside. Maybe if you're in it you don't worry about being hurt or unhappy because the love cancels that part out."

The girls sat in silence. Tempering the natural apprehension for the future was the knowledge that the adults making these decisions had over and over again proven themselves trustworthy to five terrified children that had once been used and discarded – taken from their families, their homes and their country. The understanding that their lives would, in some sense, be irrevocably changed was sobering. But it did not occur to any of them to fight against this fate, just to trust patiently in what was to come. Rosa, calling from the other room that everyone else was waiting on them, finally stirred the girls to scramble around to finish getting ready and head over to the dining hall.

* * *

Artemis stepped quickly across the lawn from her little house to the dining hall. The building was glowing cheerfully, and she could hear Catherine's fiddle singing through the night air. She couldn't help smiling as she entered the room and took in the scene. Everyone was laughing their way through a square dance as Catherine played and Gareth made the calls, strumming the beat on an acoustic guitar. Artemis had scarcely made it over the doorstep when Isabel grabbed her hand and pulled her into the group. What followed was the most complicated, hilarious, and just plain fun dancing she'd ever done in her life. Jane told her later that Rosa had created it with the purpose of including everyone, regardless of even or odd numbers and male to female ratios.

Dark hair flared around her head when Xander spun her out as the final notes of the third song faded away. Trying to catch her breath from the dancing and the laughter, Artemis dropped into the nearest chair beside Xavier. He passed her a glass of lemonade and brushed his reddish curls away from his forehead. "Pretty good moves, Scamander," he said with a small grin. Artemis looked at him in surprise. Xavier was the quieter brother of the two, and he and Joshua could rival each other for the least number of words spoken per day on the reservation.

"Thanks," she laughed, taking a long drink of the lemonade. "You were only out there for one dance, though. Not your type of music?"

"Music's fine. I'm a country fan from way back," Xavier answered easily. "It's my ankle that can't handle too much. I shattered it a long time ago, and I'll be pretty useless tomorrow if I overdo things tonight."

"Oh, sorry about that. What happened? Car wreck? Football? You look like you'd be a football player. Sorry, that's probably too pushy. Especially since this is the first real conversation we've had…not that's it's a big deal. I know I was really out of it when I first got here. And you're not really known for being chatty, so…yeah…I'm just going to stop talking now," she finished sheepishly.

Xavier chuckled. "Don't stop on my account. Jane said you were a very…entertaining conversationalist. Uh…I did play some football, but the ankle's from Beirut, actually. I was there in '83. Former Marine," he finished, holding up his glass in a kind of half toast.

"They invalid you out?" Artemis asked "I thought Xander had mentioned you guys were thieves? Not that I'm one to judge," she added hastily. "I think I'm the only one with an actual criminal record here…so, there's that…" her voice trailed off, and she looked down at the table top, rubbing the damp ring from her glass with her thumb.

"Xander did some time while I was overseas," Xavier said, shrugging. "When I got out of the corps, things were kind of a mess at home. Our mom was really sick and couldn't keep up with the bills, and Xander's always been one for trouble. Why work a nine to five and save money when a really complex and illegal activity can net you what you need so much faster?" he said drily. "So I helped him on a couple jobs, 'til we ran into Kieran."

"To the outlaws then," Artemis smiled, clinking her glass against his, "locked up because of our brothers."

"To the outlaws," he echoed, chuckling.

"Say, Xavier, don't take this the wrong way, but you guys are really different from the other werewolves I knew."

Xavier raised his eyebrows inquisitively. "Is that a bad thing or a good thing?"

"Good, I guess. It's just…odd. Apollo was a strong man. But each full moon was such a beating for him. He was grumpy and anxious leading up to each one, and then it took him so long to recover. I mean, it got a little better once we found out about eating rare meat the day after, but it still took so much out of him physically. He lost weight and looked kind of careworn all the time. Remus is the same way. But you guys seem perfectly healthy. Nobody acts worried or particularly worn out when the full moons come. Why is that?"

"Um, well. I'm not completely sure," said Xavier. He looked a little uneasy at the question, but Artemis figured it could also be the lighting in the room that threw odd shadows in the evenings. "Just clean country living I expect. And you know, we don't have to keep things a secret, so that's sort of a load off all our minds, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Hey Artemis, you know how to swing dance, right?" called Jane from across the room. "Come show the kids how it's done."

"Well, I've been summoned," said Artemis as she stood. "Hey, thanks for telling me all that. I really appreciate your candor," she added, squeezing his shoulder. "And listen…I worked as a merc for a while after my brother died. So… I've been in some fire fights, the wizarding kind anyway. If you ever want to talk…about Lebanon…or anything… I'm here."

"Thanks. I appreciate that," he said, nodding to her.

Xander slid into Artemis' place as she left and polished off the last of her lemonade. "That could be improved with a shot of something," he commented, setting the glass down.

"She was asking why we seem happier and healthier than the other werewolves she's known." Xavier said in a low voice.

Xander whistled under his breath. "She's a smart one. I doubt we'll make it all five years without her finding out what's going on.

"I'd wager it's less than two," countered Xavier, his eyes glinting mischievously.

"What are you offering?" smirked Xander.

"My new knife. What've you got?"

"I'll sing a solo on the first music night after she finds out."

"Ugh, I'm not sure that's winning, but I will relish your humiliation."

The brothers laughed and shook on it. Xander jumped up to ask Oscar about a game of cards. Xavier turned his attention back to his glass, unaware of the blonde girl with the violin watching him curiously and a little longingly from across the room.

* * *

Sirius's quill scratched across the parchment as the images began to take shape. He'd decided to include a sketch in the next letter to Artemis so that she could pass it on to Lina whenever she arrived. He wasn't exactly worried about her, well, at least he was trying not to worry. Artemis said Lina did things her own way, and she clearly knew her better than anyone. Besides, worrying about Remus took up enough of his thoughts.

An old Yugo and caravan quickly took up most of the parchment. Next was a profile of Moony, his arm extended as a sponge was leaving his hand to fly through the air. The werewolf had been distracted by Artemis and his current missions with the Order, so Dumbledore's request for him to contact the werewolf pack had caught him by surprise. Remus had been afraid, angry and then defeated by the idea. Sirius had been frustrated by his inability to refuse, because Remus still felt he owed Dumbledore for allowing him to attend school at all. Grumbling, Sirius pulled out his wand to spell away part of the black dog he had drawn. His tail did _not_ look like that.

The radio blared to life as once again Frank Sinatra began the well-worn lyrics, _Grey skies are gonna clear up, Put on a happy face. Dust off the clouds and cheer up, Put on a happy face…_ But the song quickly faded away and Sirius could hear Artemis' voice faintly through the speaker, "…hope you can hear me. This feels so weird, like leaving a message on an answering machine…do you even know what an answering machine is?"

Sirius jumped up and grabbed the box, setting it on the table in front of him so he could hear her better. Kreacher peered around the door of the pantry to listen, but kept back in the shadows. "So things are going fine here. The people have been really welcoming. It's a little strange to live out in the country…like really out in the country. We have a garden and chickens, although most of the groceries are sent out by MCUSA. You boys probably don't care about that though. Um, there's nineteen other residents right now. Two old ladies that are hilarious …there's five teenagers, well mostly teenagers. A couple of them are turning twenty this year. There's a married couple from Peru that basically became their parents. That was a terrible story. Apparently in the last war Voldemort attempted to form a werewolf army. These kids were given to him…they were only like four years old. Isabel was two. Then there's this Irish woman and her son. The same thing happened to her boy, he's only two. The whole idea makes absolutely no sense to me. Why have a weapon that you can only use once a month that you can't even really control? I mean…I guess it just provokes fear and random damage, but yuck. I guess that's why I'm not on his side," Artemis finished the thought with a little laugh. "But there's a tidbit of intel for the Order anyway."

"Jane is the woman I help in the kitchen. She used to run a deli in New York. Hezekiah was a pro-Quodpot player. There's this really great guy who studied medieval history. He uses the word _sard_ all the time, which apparently is a swear word from back then, but I'm not sure anyone else knows that because the old ladies get on to people if you cuss too much. I thought you'd appreciate that, Sirius. You can add the word to your collection. There's also no smoking, no drugs, and no drinking. Which, honestly make sense. Can you imagine a bunch of drunk werewolves? That probably wouldn't end well. Then there are these two brothers from North Carolina, and the guy that infected them. They're all No-Maj, if you can believe that! I didn't think No-Maj usually survived werewolf bites, but there's four of them here, one of the old ladies is one too. There's two ex-Aurors, and one of them is the woman who took out the werewolf that infected my brother. I felt really guilty when I saw her, since her team went after the guy when we couldn't get him."

There was a long pause after the words finished tumbling out, and Sirius wondered if the connection was lost. Then he heard Artemis take a long shaky breath. "I miss you guys," she said quietly. "I finally played the ukulele that Fred and George gave me for Christmas. Remus, thank you for telling them about the pink bubbles, that was a sweet surprise. I, um…well something happened that I probably need to tell you about, but I'm kind of afraid to, so I won't say it yet…Merlin, that sounds dumb. I'm not infected or anything like that. You know what, forget I said anything, maybe the radio isn't even working and I'm just talking to myself."

Sirius sighed, hurting at the sadness in her voice. He wished there was a way to tell her he was listening. "So Lina hasn't made contact yet," Artemis continued. "Kreacher said she'd been gone about three weeks, so I'll probably see her soon. Speaking of Kreacher, Sirius, I need you two to try and get along with each other, for Regulus' sake. He cared for both of you, and I care for both of you. So be nice. You can send mail to me at the Northeast Werewolf Reservation – just make sure it's censored. The trip seemed to take a lot out of him, so don't let him come again unless it's absolutely necessary. I hope Harry and the others have had a good start to their school year. Was he able to stay with you for most of the summer? Hey, I said we had chickens, right? So it turns out I am terrible at trying to get the eggs away from them. One totally launched herself at my face. I'm lucky she didn't claw my eyes out. Still feel a little traumatized by that actually. Tonight's a dancing night. We have different activities on different nights…dancing, people take turns reading aloud, a few people do skits sometimes. I doubt either of you know anything about American history, but it feels a little like playing Little House on the Prairie…which is fine, really… just different. I feel bad thinking I'll only be here five years and the others have to stay for the rest of their lives…Hey we're having music night in a couple days. It's kind of like karaoke, but the kids here all play instruments, so they're the band. I'll see if I can channel any of that to the radio…if this is even working. It'll be on Wednesday night around eight o'clock. I don't think I said it, but I was in a pretty bad place before I came to stay with you guys. You gave me hope, and helped me find me again. So thank you for that. I love you boys, and I'll talk to you again soon."

Sirius could hear footsteps and a door open and close before the radio went to static, then silence. He slouched back in his chair, quill tapping on the tabletop, and wishing he'd thought to use one of the dictation quills to catch what she was saying, so Remus could see it later. He'd make sure to keep one and some parchment near the radio from now on. He was thrilled the idea had worked. He missed her, but felt a lot better knowing she could talk without trying to disguise information in a letter. Pulling his sketch towards him, Sirius began adding in Lina to his picture, car wash hose in hand, a rare smile on her face as the water arced through the air. He made a mental note to tell the Order about the possibility of a werewolf army, frowning as he anticipated Remus' reaction. It would be even more important to convince the British werewolf pack to join their cause if Voldemort was skipping ahead a step to just create his own followers. Finishing the drawing of the moment in time from the car wash, Sirius grabbed another piece of parchment and began a sketch of the kitchen, adding in Remus sitting in the rocking chair by the fire with a book and Artemis at the stove stirring something, her wand skewered through a mess of hair on top of her head.

* * *

Remus pulled his cloak tighter around him against the chill Scottish wind, trying to focus on the man speaking to him. "Things have been pretty quiet the last couple years. We have a few members that have struggled more to acclimate themselves, but we haven't had any new infections for a while. Deirdre was the last, and she's mine, so you don't have to worry about unclaimed females. We have the usual issues each month, but it's not as bad as it could be. You don't look like a trouble-maker. No aspiration of Alpha status, right?" the man finished with a laugh.

"No, no, absolutely not," said Remus shaking his head. "I have a job nearby at a bookstore. I understand the paychecks are turned directly over to you."

"That's right. Keep everything all together. Share and share alike and all that. You can set your tent up over there," he added, gesturing towards a small copse of trees on the fringe of the circle of tents and caravans. Meals are at six, twelve, and six. No alcohol allowed within the boundaries. You need to drink you do it away from here."

Remus nodded and adjusted his grip on the suitcase. "Right, I'll leave you to it, then," the man finished, holding out his hand. "Alec McIntyre, by the way. Can't remember if I said that before or not. Welcome to the pack, Mr. Lupin."

Remus shook his hand and moved off toward the small space by the trees. He quickly assembled the small tent and entered. It was larger on the inside, of course, but not by much. He didn't need all that much space after all, just a small sitting room and a bedroom. He thought over his conversation with McIntyre. The man was certainly different from the Alpha the pack had during the last war; sharing incomes and banning alcohol. Maybe he would be easier to convince than Remus had originally thought. After arranging his things, he curled his long frame into an armchair and pulled out Artemis' letter again. Five years. Almost against his will, he wondered what the American pack was like. Would the fact that Artemis wasn't a werewolf protect her in some way from being claimed? Remus closed his eyes and counted backwards from ten, trying to calm the wolf that had immediately begun to protest the idea of his witch begin claimed by another. He had to be careful. Spending the full moons here would be dangerous in light of his admittedly fragile mental state. Rubbing his eyes tiredly, Remus tried to remember what he'd heard about claiming females from his last stay with the pack…it wasn't about sex. It was something to do with intent, and scent marking, and fighting off any rivals. Well, he'd tried to suppress any intentions, but clearly not hard enough. And he hadn't had to fight off any rivals, although he wondered if the wolf might have viewed Padfoot differently without the Wolfsbane Potion. And the scent marking…Remus sighed. He hadn't exactly claimed her. She'd claimed him. That night of February's full moon her lion had rubbed her jaw all over his face and ears. She probably hadn't even realized what she was doing, but his wolf had submitted. "Merlin's beard," he muttered, scrubbing his hand over his face. Even if by some miracle he survived the war, he wasn't sure he's survive sixty full moons of his wolf trying to get to Artemis, who was over three thousand miles away.

* * *

** Hi Guest! Glad you're enjoying it! It was my understanding that, since Kreacher knew how to get to the cave, he had been with Regulus when he retrieved the locket and then Kreacher was told to destroy it (I'm assuming when Regulus realized he couldn't get away from the Inferi,) so that's where I went with it. My intent is certainly not to make Artemis too good to be true, although I do think there's a Pollyanna aspect to her personality that pushes her to try and see the positives about every situation. Not to worry, she won't be there for five years (she'd miss all the exciting stuff in England!) Thanks to everyone for sticking with me!


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28 ~ October, 1996

The loud clang of the metal doors made Lina flinch, though she tried to hide it. For all the official statements about the British Ministry of Magic having the situation with Voldemort under control, MCUSA was clearly taking precautions. She'd been imprisoned for a month with no opportunity to contact anyone, no charges filed against her, and no information on what exactly was happening. It was the first time in her career she'd actually begun to wonder if she'd pushed her luck too far, and she hadn't even done anything yet!

"Very well, Ms. Laurent, here is your wand and other personal effects. Your vials of Polyjuice Potion have been confiscated, and you are required to use a proper International Apparation Site when you return to the United Kingdom. Your paperwork is valid for two weeks. After that time, if we do not have documentation of you returning home via an International Apparation Site, you will be guilty of violating the terms of your travel visa and a warrant will be issued for your arrest. Enjoy your visit to the United States."

"Thanks so much for your hospitality," Lina answered dryly, accepting her wand and suitcase from the low ranking official behind the desk.

"Miss Laurent, just so we are clear, MCUSA was under no obligation to release you at all. I highly suggest you keep that in mind when planning out the remainder of your stay here. You are not a citizen of this country, and therefore have no legal rights or recourse here. You also have previous connections with highly suspicious people and activities. If you wish to be able to return home at all I would conduct myself with a little more restraint."

"Noted," Lina replied grimly. "Two weeks, no trouble, then get out."

"Exactly," the suit responded with an oily smile.

Lina stalked out of the building with her back straight and head high. She refused to look behind her or make eye contact with any of the guards lining the hallways, despite the sensation of eyes crawling over her. Once outside, she purposefully walked down the sidewalk, Muggles and Wizards alike streaming past her. Ducking in to the nearest alley, she disapparated, appearing in a silent wood somewhere in the Adirondack Mountains. Lina dropped her suitcase, and sat on it, taking deep slow breaths. Her run in with MCUSA had shaken her more than she would ever admit. In her line of work, death was something she faced on a regular basis, but the idea of imprisonment…days upon days in that small metal room stretching before her with no end in sight. An image of Sirius when she and Remus had discovered him last summer sprang to her mind – his emaciated figure, skin stretched tight over his bones, the ragged prison uniform, the tremors. Lina sprang to her feet and made it a few feet away before vomiting up all the prison food she'd eaten in the last twenty-four hours. Tears ran down her cheeks as she heaved over and over again; dry, gasping breaths burning her chest. When her body finally began to calm down, she muttered an _Aguamenti_ , cupping the stream of water from her wand in her hand, and rinsing out her mouth.

Sinking down to the ground beside her suitcase, Lina curled up in a ball, pulling her cloak tight around her. Her blonde hair hung disheveled in her face. She knew deep down she was no Gryffindor. Given the opportunity she could maneuver – find loopholes, break laws, lie, cheat and steal. But when faced with a no-win situation Lina was pretty certain she'd be one to crumble. It was part of what drew her to Sirius, even from the first day they'd met. In spite of everything he'd experienced, Sirius greeted life with a wink and a smile. It was one of the things she found admirable and puzzling about him. Sirius wouldn't fall apart at the mere threat of captivity. Lina forced herself to tune into the sound of the wind softly rustling the leaves around her as her heartbeat finally slowed. After sitting still and silent for a good half hour, she finally roused herself. The time in prison had at least yielded one good thing - one of the more handsy guards had let slip that the closest werewolf reservation was was here in New York. Shrinking down her suitcase to the size of a few Galleons, she tucked it in her pocket and transformed into her fox. Lina sniffed the air intently, before darting off to the west, the dark woods closing around her. She may not be a Gryffindor, but Slytherins were supposed to be cunning and resourceful and she had one seriously ambitious job to do right now.

* * *

The crescent moon appeared as a white claw in the dark sky. Marcus yawned and stretched before turning to retrace the eastern perimeter. The wards would have to be reinforced in the next month or so, but there was no real hurry. He allowed himself a small grin at the thought that they were really more concerned with keeping strangers out than keeping themselves in. Tucking his wand into the pocket of his cloak, Marcus stretched again before transforming. His head and body lengthened as he dropped to all fours, thick fur the same blonde as his hair sprouted over his hunched form.

He took off along the western boundary line, racing through the crisp night. He was within a quarter mile of the storehouse when he heard Alma's faint howl. Twisting himself tightly, he turned north and dashed toward the sound. As he grew closer, Marcus picked up the scent of the stranger. He slowed and padded silently through the woods, coming up beside Alma as she stood at the eastern line, her black fur rendering her practically invisible in the darkness. The pair watched the woman on the other side of the ward. She was studying the air intently, as if she knew there was a magical barrier there. The werewolves' eyes glinted in surprise as the woman transformed into a small red fox. The fox sat perfectly still in the same spot where the woman had stood, nose twitching as it took in the scent of the other two creatures. The werewolves turned to one another and the female nodded. They saw the fox start then stand perfectly still as the human scents replaced the scent of werewolf.

"What do you want," Marcus called gruffly across the barrier, his wand at his throat to allow the sound through.

Lina transformed back and pushed her hair out of her face. "Is this the werewolf reservation? I'm looking for a friend of mine. Her name's Artemis Scamander."

Marcus and Alma frowned at the British accent. He turned to look at Alma and she shook her head slightly. "You shouldn't be here," replied Marcus. "You can request a visit through MCUSA."

Lina snorted. "Do you think I'd be wandering around here in the dark if I thought requesting a visit would work? Can you just tell me if Artemis is here? Is she…is she all right?" she added softly.

"She's fine," Marcus answered curtly. "Now leave this place."

Lina glared at him. "No. Now that I know she's here, I'll just circle round and round like a bloody vulture until I find a way in. There's no way I'm going back to London without seeing her."

Alma leaned over and whispered into Marcus' ear. "We'd better talk to Kieran. She may be a friend, or she may be a scout for Voldemort's people. We don't know for sure what Artemis was involved with over there."

Marcus nodded. "The reservation entrance is two miles around to the west," he called. "There's a large boulder beside an oak tree that's split and grown in two. It's uh…marked…if you catch my drift. Wait there and someone will come for you."

Without waiting for her response, the pair transformed again and raced away across the reservation, taking the most direct route to their home. The circled around the back of the cluster of houses and returned to their human forms, rushing up to the dining hall. Kieran and Xander were focused on a chess board while Xavier sat off to the side, the kitchen's commercial grade mixer in pieces before him as he fiddled with some of the wiring. The three looked up in concern as Marcus and Alma burst through the door.

"Kieran there's a woman here, at the entry point. English. She says she's a friend of Artemis and came to check on her, but she's an animagus, and she scented us as both werewolves and humans. She's waiting to talk to someone." Alma reported succinctly.

Kieran scowled. "I knew that girl being here would have consequences. Marcus, go and get Oscar and bring him to the entry point. Xander, fetch Grams. So Plan A is intimidation and threats. If that doesn't get her to leave we'll move on to Plan B."

Marcus and Xander nodded and quickly left the building. Xavier and Alma followed Kieran out of the dining hall and down the dirt road around the side of the storage building. They stopped several yards from the barrier, watching the landscape anxiously. "There," said Alma, pointing to a red fox as it darted up and then slowly approached the twisted tree.

The three were joined shortly by Oscar, Marcus, Xander and Grams. The petite old woman frowned intently at the barrier, studying the scene. The fox transformed into the strange blonde woman, who began pacing.

"Is she a threat?" asked Kieran immediately.

"Nope," said Grams decisively. "She's not a threat, but she's something…or she's going to be something. I can't quite see it yet."

"She says she's here to check on Artemis," added Marcus.

"Well just how are y'all planning to talk to her if she can't come in and you can't get out?"

* * *

The red fox slowed as she approached the the tree and boulder. She had passed by it earlier in the night, and had given it a wide berth. Marked indeed…the strong, pungent scent of werewolf permeated the area. Lina transformed back, so her sensitive fox's nose wasn't enduring the scent any longer, and stood near the boulder, shifting from one foot to the other as her mind sorted through the various scenarios she might encounter. Lina hadn't the sentimental attachments to werewolves that Artemis had, and would approach them as the potential life-threatening creatures that they were, particularly in light of the fact that they could seemingly transform at will.

She tightened her grip on her wand, swallowing down the sudden flicker of fear as she took a deep breath. The scents shifting suddenly from werewolf to human and back had been decidedly unexpected. She glanced up at the white sliver of moon. Were they truly werewolves, or merely animagi? Although she'd certainly never heard of a wizard having a werewolf as their animagus form.

After waiting for what felt like an age, but was probably closer to around half an hour, Lina was startled by the sound of a clear female voice. "We can see you," she called. "Only one of us may pass through the wards. If you wish to speak with us and possibly see your friend you will change into your animagus form and allow her to carry you into the reservation."

"I have no guarantee that you will allow me to leave again unharmed," Lina replied.

"No, you do not," a deep male voice said, sounding a little amused. "That depends entirely on how you conduct yourself here."

The air began to shimmer and bend as a witch passed through the barrier and approached Lina. She paused in front of her and her lips twitched upward. "Your name is…Lina, right?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "I think I remember you from school. I'm Ellie Burke…well, Ellie Macnair back then."

Lina nodded slowly. "I think you were a couple years ahead of me, one of the few who wasn't pulled out after Voldemort was defeated."

Ellie gave her a grim smile. "If only he had truly been defeated then…Artemis is here," she added reluctantly. "But you can't see her until we've determined that you're not a threat to us."

Lina nodded. "I understand. I'll transform and go in with you."

"And you'll have to give me your wand."

Lina froze. "Is that absolutely necessary? Surely I'm not as dangerous as you lot in there?"

"That's a matter of perspective. Some of the people who live here are Muggles, and no one is currently transformed. To them, you are the more dangerous. And I don't see that you have a choice if you want to speak with Artemis."

Lina grudgingly handed over her wand then changed back to the fox. Ellie tucked the extra wand into her robes and gently picked up the small animal, feeling a tiny heartbeat racing under her fingers. The air felt pressurized all around her as Lina was carried through the barrier. Once they were through, Ellie set her back on the ground, and Lina transformed again. She stiffened at the semicircle of people around her. She had determined that Ellie was not a great danger to her, analyzing her movement and how to best retrieve her wand when necessary. But the others here were a different story – five men surrounded her, only two holding out wands, but all of them radiating a kind of raw power; a young black woman, also holding a wand, whose expression indicated that she would dispatch Lina at a word without any qualms; and an older black woman. Logically she should have been least threatening, but her eyes seemed to pin Lina to her spot, and then her gaze shifted, fixing onto something just over Lina's shoulder.

"Right," said Lina firmly, trying not to show the fear that had flickered to life again, "I've done what you asked. What can you tell me about my friend?" It took all she had not to look over her shoulder to see what the old woman was watching.

All of a sudden the old woman broke off her stare and turned away. "Alma, you bring her along. I'll tell Jane to put on some coffee. Boys, y'all go and get the others. Looks like we're having a pack meeting." She let out a throaty chuckle at herself, "Pack meeting…that's good. I'm gonna keep using that. Makes us sound like a bunch of boy scouts."

* * *

Alma held Lina none too gently by the elbow as she stumbled over a doorstep and into some kind of building. The cloth sack they had put over her head as they dragged her along smelt dusty, and was making her cough. Inside, Lina was shoved down into a chair, and felt a wand at her throat.

"Why has she got a feed bag over her head?" a female voice said curiously.

"Plan A." It was the clipped female voice from beyond the barrier. Lina thought it was mostly likely the fierce-looking woman with the wand at her throat they'd called Alma.

"What's Plan A?" This was a different voice – male, rather young.

"Intimidation and Threats," answered a deeper voice, but it sounded a little like he was trying not to laugh.

"What's Plan B then?" asked the first female voice.

"I think we're supposed to kill her," answered the deeper male.

Lina tensed up when the female laughed. "That can't be Plan B," she said. "That's got to at least be, like Plan M or something."

There was the sound of chairs scraping on the floor and the clatter of dishes as several other people entered the room. Then the bag was yanked off her head, and Lina blinked for a moment, trying to focus in the sudden light. She zeroed in on a pale face with black hair and bright aqua colored eyes, beaming at her. She pulled Lina to her feet and enveloped her in a hug.

"Hey foxy lady, long time no see!" said Artemis happily.

Lina just stared at her. "What kind of madhouse is this?" she said finally, looking over the other people seated around a large table.

A huge man with long dark hair, seated near the head of the table, studied her. "This is the Northeast Werewolf Reservation," he answered solemnly. "We're not mad…not yet at least."

Lina watched Artemis roll her eyes as some of the others around the table grinned. "But…what's really going on here?" Lina pressed. "There's not a full moon tonight and you were still able to transform…"

The little old black woman slammed her hand down on the table, making her nearby coffee cup rattle. "You didn't tell me she saw you!" she hissed in a furious voice, directing a glare around the table. Lina heard someone hiss in a breath, and noticed a cluster of younger people, watching the scene with wide eyes.

Lina returned her attention to the rest of the table as a blonde man answered the old woman, "She didn't see us, the fox smelled us as werewolves while we were patrolling, and then as humans."

An old heavy-set white woman nodded, "Well, I can't say that's an eventuality we thought to plan for. We'll have to adjust our wards – add in some scent prohibitive spells."

Artemis watched the exchange with a puzzled frown knitting her eyebrows together. "What do you mean she smelled you as werewolves and humans? Have you been waiting around out here since the last full moon?" she added, turning to Lina.

Lina shook her head. "I just came tonight. They…it seemed like they could transform at will."

Artemis turned to stare at the people around the table, some of whom dropped their gaze to avoid meeting her eyes. "Is that true?…How…how is that even possible?" she whispered.

"Honey, there are still a few things you don't know about us," answered the old black woman.

"But Grams, that…you can't just change whenever you want. I've known other werewolves, and it…it just doesn't work like that." Artemis sputtered. The werewolves all watched her almost unconsciously move closer to Lina. The ones who had fighting experience recognized the movement. Whoever this blonde woman might be, Artemis' knew her as an ally, which probably meant she had significant combat experience of her own. Xavier tensed as Marcus and Alma held their wands a little tighter.

"Well, we have been…refined you might say," responded Grams. "The impurities of the disease have been removed and we are left with a skill much like your own. We can transform when we need to and are not slaves to the blood lust that consumes most of our kind."

Artemis stared at the woman in disbelief. "So if you don't feel the need to bite people, why do you still lock yourselves up each month?"

Some of the residents looked embarrassed, and the rest looked a little smug. "We don't lock ourselves up each month, honey. We lock you up. Just keeping up appearances."

"So I'm getting locked in my bathroom every month for no reason?! What else haven't you been telling me?" Lina thought it a little amusing that Artemis was taking this personally and getting annoyed, rather than asking the more obvious question.

"Umm…we don't hunt with bows and arrows?" offered the tall, dark haired man with an apologetic smile.

Artemis turned her incredulous gaze on him and shook her head. "No, I don't suppose you'd need to."

Alma was watching Lina with a calculating expression. Lina very intentionally didn't acknowledge her, keeping her own expression blank and standing just behind Artemis to her right. Her eyes continually scanned the people, evaluating who might have a wand and could be easily disarmed, where the various exits were and the distance from this building to the entry point. That last step was the most problematic, as they would need to grab Ellie to exit the reservation, but Lina was confident they would have at minimum a fifty percent chance of escaping, higher if she could get a wand quickly and the werewolves hesitated before transforming. As Artemis moved to sit down at the table, Lina's blank expression creased into an infinitesimal frown. Something was wrong. The way Artemis moved and seated herself looked…off; not quite like she was in pain, but not like the normal easy gait she typically had. Lina instantly abandoned the plan to leave during this meeting. She wasn't at all sure Artemis would be able to keep up or fight her way out if something went wrong. Having decided this, she strode forward to the table and grabbed the last empty chair, lounging back into it and smiling around at everyone. Most people shifted uncomfortably in their seats, as Lina's smile closely resembled something predatory and wicked.

The old woman, Grams, laughed, a dry and husky sound. "So that's it then…you're the catalyst," she said, directing her piercing stare into Lina's eyes. "I couldn't see it clearly before, but the two of you together…the way you respond to her. You are a catalyst. The domino that sets off the chain."

Everyone looked at Grams and then Lina in turn, clearly waiting for an explanation, but none was forthcoming. "I'll have to think it over," Grams finally said. "That's not why we're here right now."

"What are you?" Artemis asked.

"Werewolves," offered Kieran. "Bitten and infected just like all the others. We've just been…"

"Perfected," added Oscar.

"We can transform at will with no pain, we feel no desire to bite and infect others, and we are completely conscious of everything that happens when we are changed," stated Grams grandly.

"But how is that possible?"

Jane held up her hands pleadingly. "We've sort of…tapped in to another…level of magic."

"So it's a spell?"

"We have been bestowed with a gift," said Grams, suddenly seeming ancient and majestic. "When we humbled ourselves, The Creator saw fit to intercede in power and burned out the impurities of the curse. We are left with a raw strength that is bent to our will."

"The Creator took away everything vicious and ugly about the disease," clarified Jane.

Artemis stared, silent and wide-eyed at the statement. Lina raised her eyebrows. "So you…prayed," she stated skeptically.

Lina felt the piercing eyes of the old woman on her again, and struggled to meet her gaze. "I think that's enough for tonight," Grams said firmly. "Artemis' friend needs to rest, and they both need a little time to process things. We'll discuss it more in the morning."

Artemis stared down at the table, the disappointment and confusion evident on her face. Lina watched the others leave, trying to memorize their faces. Most glanced apologetically at Artemis as they left, the one woman with wild black curls patted Artemis' shoulder and offered Lina a tentative smile.

When they were alone, Lina felt the exhaustion begin to take over as the adrenaline drained from her body, and she let her head drop onto Artemis' shoulder. "Congratulations," she mumbled. "A job finally surprised me."

* * *

Guest - Well, those werewolves were hiding something! I laughed when I read your comment about liking suspense, but not too much of it. Me too! Honestly I love to read fluff. I love all the blushing and stammering and will they or won't they. It's adorable. For whatever reason, this story did not want to be that. That whole thing about sometimes you write something and it's like the characters just sort of start running amok on their own is kind of true. Hopefully we'll get a little fluff here and there as we go. :)


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29 ~ October, 1996

The rambunctious black dog leaped up and licked her cheek. Lina yelped in frustration and pushed him away as he tried to hold her hand. Wait…dogs can't hold hands…oh, it wasn't a dog, it was Sirius. Lina pulled her hand away and found herself patting the head of the dog…no, she was brushing Sirius' hair back from his face. He was hurt – lying pale and unconscious on the bed, blood soaking the sheets beneath him as she held a cloth against his arm, waiting for someone to come help. Suddenly his eyes opened and he stared at her disappointedly. "I trusted you," he said, voice laced with desperation. "He needs her back." Then she was holding the blood soaked cloth against a werewolf's side, the black dog beside him humming…no someone else was humming or chanting. Lina fought her way out of the dream, blinking at the morning light spilling through the window.

As she wandered into the front room with the little kitchen, Lina gratefully took the steaming mug of coffee handed to her. Without saying a word, Artemis moved behind her and began combing her fingers through Lina's tangled hair, braiding it back from her face. The pair sat on the old sofa, legs tucked up and facing each other. Lina settled back into the corner, holding her mug close to her face. "I'm glad you're all right," Lina finally said.

Artemis smiled sadly. "My past caught up with me. I should have figured it would eventually."

Lina shook her head. "You know he would never have intentionally let you take the fall for everything that happened. You do know that, right?"

"Then he shouldn't have left me alone," she muttered softly, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs, before realizing the baby in her womb made that position uncomfortable. She resigned herself to sitting cross-legged, with her back against the arm of the sofa, hugging a throw pillow.

"Hey, we've talked about this. People in that place…making decisions from a place of pain and darkness…they can't always see the fallout. Apollo didn't think he was leaving you alone. He thought he was making it easier on you – removing himself from the picture so you wouldn't have to worry about him anymore…wouldn't have to live your life taking care of him."

"I know…it's just…I still miss him…and I'm still a little mad at him…and I still want him to be proud of me."

"I know. And he would be proud of you. Merlin, everyone you meet winds up adoring you, Artemis. It's dead annoying, really," Lina said with a teasing smile. "You left those two bachelors in London completely enamored, and almost everyone last night felt horribly guilty for keeping whatever magic secrets they're keeping…except that Alma woman. She's scary."

"Yeah she is," Artemis laughed.

"I can't even stay away, and most people consider me a borderline sociopath."

Artemis laughed again, coughing on the tea she'd just swallowed. "I'm so glad you're here, Lina. Sirius was worrying about you taking so long."

Lina's face grew troubled. "They caught me at customs, locked me up for a month," she said reluctantly.

"Are you ok?" Artemis asked, eyeing her sternly.

Pursed lips and a half-hearted shrug was her only answer as Lina started down at her coffee. "I should have known not to run an op in the states on my own. But…it was for you…and I didn't…" Lina took a deep breath and looked ruefully at her one true friend. "I didn't want to disappoint…Sirius," she finished reluctantly.

If the admission surprised Artemis she didn't show it, just nodded before jumping up from the couch with an exclamation. "I forgot! Sirius sent a letter for you in the last letter he sent me." Artemis grabbed the thick folded parchment and handed it to her. "You read that while I get dressed."

Lina set her coffee cup down and slowly unfolded the papers. She stared at the sketch, not even trying to hide a fond smile at the memory it captured, then quickly opened the accompanying letter.

 _My vexing Vixen,_

 _If you're reading this, then you have found our elusive wildcat. Bravo and thank you from the very depths of my soul. Moony is rather a mess lately, and I hope that you bringing back news of Kitten will help. Merlin, he's supposed to be the calm and rational one, and I'm supposed to be the loose cannon. But I guess hell hath no fury like a werewolf kept from the woman he loves. The pity is all that fury is turned towards himself. September's moon was as bad as August's. My cousin helped but I did get the tiniest, tiny bit of a broken arm. Yes, it was my left that was already injured, and yes I'm very sorry, and yes Moony already read me the riot act, but I'll be happy to listen to your dressing down when you get back. Hmm...since you aren't right here to hex me I'll go ahead and tell you I also wouldn't mind discussing a different kind of dressing down with you. (Insert suggestive wink here.) But all teasing aside, the truth is I want to tell you that I'm worried about you being gone so long, even though I try not to be. I miss seeing you every day. I even make a cup of coffee every morning because the smell reminds me of you. (I tasted it once and immediately spat it back out. That stuff is horrific, woman!) So please hurry back. You may not yet be mine, but 'you have bewitched me body and soul.' (Isn't that a brilliant line? I borrowed it from a book – you know the one I mean.)_

 _Love, Your Faithful Hound_

Lina swallowed hard and set the letter down beside her cold coffee. Never in her wildest flights of fancy would she have imagined having to refuse a declaration of…something…from Sirius Black. His years in Azkaban had clearly taken a toll if he really believed all those things he'd said about her when she'd mended his arm. People said those things about Artemis, not her. She was the cold and calculating one, the strange one, not the one who…how had he put it? Let him imagine a happy future for himself? Like she gave him hope. As soon as she was back in London she would simply have to have a firm talk with him about this…misplaced attention. Relationships just encouraged people to have unrealistic expectations. Smoothing an edge of the sketch, Lina studied how Sirius had drawn her – lighthearted, laughing and…playing. Was that really what he saw? She guessed she felt that way sometimes, but had always had trouble showing it. Well, she'd just ask Artemis for some advice on how to talk to him before she went home. She didn't want to really hurt his feelings after all.

* * *

Just around seven, dressed in long-sleeved t-shirt, some cargo pants and light weight combat boots that all allowed for easy movement and concealed a few judiciously chosen weapons, Lina felt a smidge more prepared to face the group of werewolves. Her mind was whirling, systematically evaluating what she remembered of the layout and people of the compound. She was eighty-five percent convinced none of them would attack her unless she attacked first, but it was better to cover all your bases. Lina wrinkled her nose at the thought. That was a strange phrase, _cover all your bases_. She must have picked that up from the American Aurors.

"Ready to head over for breakfast?" asked Artemis.

"Sure. How are we going to play it?"

"I still can't believe they all…well, lied to me really. They've seemed so open about everything else. Why do I have to work so hard to convince people I'm on their side, anyway? I would be thrilled for them to experience what Grams was talking about…"

"Great. You be indignant. I'll go with silent and scary."

"This isn't an op," Artemis muttered with an accompanying eye roll.

Lina shot her an exasperated look. "Once again, you're so worried about the people that you're not even asking the only important question."

Artemis sighed. "How are they doing it?"

"Exactly. Because you and I are both aware of some people that would be very interested in the ability to control a pack of werewolves."

"Well, unless Voldemort's planning to come here and kidnap them, none of these people will fight for him willingly. They all hate what he's done to the kids."

"I was talking about the Order."

* * *

Lina followed Artemis into the dining hall, tense and cautious. The werewolves were all seated at the table, watching her with similar caution. "Morning," greeted Jane, sounding strangely reserved.

Artemis sighed. "All right, let's see it."

The rest of the room stared at her. "Go on, show me how you transform!"

"Um, Artemis, I'm not sure having all of them change at once is a wise idea," Lina tried to interject.

"Don't you trust us, English?" asked Alma with a hard smile.

"Not especially no," Lina ground out.

"It'll be all right," offered a younger girl with curly brown hair. Her eyes were a warm brown, and the few freckles dusting her face creased as she wrinkled her nose. "We wouldn't ever hurt anyone."

Artemis smiled at her. "I know you wouldn't, Daisy. Go on then."

Lina felt frozen in place as she watched them synchronously transform. The first month she'd had to help Sirius keep Remus contained was the first time she'd ever actually dealt with a werewolf, since she hadn't known about Apollo until long after he was dead. It just wasn't a creature she'd run into in her work before. Seeing the typically mild-mannered man become a violent and rage-filled monster was disturbing, to say the least. He'd been concerned about how out of sorts he'd felt leading up to the full moon, so Lina had volunteered to sit in the hallway outside his room and ensure he stayed confined. She'd watched Sirius wince each time they heard a bone crack and Remus try to stifle a scream. Sirius had tried to talk to him throughout the night, reminding Remus of who he was as the werewolf howled and threw himself at the door, finally smashing it to pieces. So Lina couldn't quite help how her heart raced and her hands sweat as this large group changed within a few feet of her.

Artemis was less anxious and more curious. The werewolves stood or sat calmly watching the two women, each surprisingly recognizable as their fur resembled each person's hair. Marcus, Gareth, and the Rosier sisters were blonde, the girls' fur slightly darker and thicker. Even as werewolves Catherine looked serious and Isabel looked feisty. Gareth looked a little bored. Kieran had the shaggiest coat and gave her an odd dog-like smile, his tongue lolling out. Ellie remained in her seat, holding a squirming Finn, who'd changed as he saw the others change, and she tried not to laugh at Lina's expression. Jane's black fur was almost as thick at Kieran's, and she slowly approached Artemis, nosing her hand once and then sitting beside her.

"Wow," Artemis said, awestruck. "This is incredible! If I can tell Remus how to do this, then it would…well, it would just change his whole life, wouldn't it!"

The group transformed back and again took their seats around the table. "You can certainly try to tell him, honey," said Grams. "Maybe that's why the catalyst came – to take our hope back to her country."

* * *

Artemis was so preoccupied going over what just happened that she didn't hear Lina start to talk to her until she'd called her name several times as they walked back to her house. "Sorry, Lina, what was that?"

"Why are you moving so strangely? Are you hurt?"

"I'm not moving strangely."

"Yes you are. I wouldn't have trusted you to fight your way out of that room if we'd had too."

"I'm fine. I'm not moving any differently than I normally do."

"Yes you are, your walk is different. And you look…puffy?"

"I don't look puffy!"

"Why are you blushing?"

"Well, when were you planning to talk about you and Sirius?"

"You're avoiding my question."

"Ha! Now you're blushing!"

"I'm not blushing!"

"Well neither am I!"

The two women stared at each other. "Fine," sighed Lina. "But only because if we were really keeping secrets you know I'd win. Sirius seems to be under the delusion that he likes me…romantically speaking. He asked me out on a date a few months ago."

"Did you go?"

"No! I'd just saved his life, and he was probably just under the influence of the potions."

"Ok. Well, he may not think it's as big of an issue as you do, if you're worried about hurting his feelings. What did he say exactly?"

"He asked what my real name was, then said I was clever and pretty…and then he launches into this nonsense about how I'm perceptive and this beacon of light…and…that I give him hope. I mean, he acts like I'm you! He's dramatic and ridiculous, always bowing and winking and…and watching me and trying to hold my hand. Salazar's serpents! The first week I knew him when he was starving and sickly looking he kept flirting with me and asked if he could send me an owl! I don't need that nonsense in my life! How you managed to put up with it for a year is beyond me!"

The rant made Lina feel better for about a nanosecond before she caught the knowing look on Artemis' face. _Bollocks. I should have just calmly asked how to let him down easily. Now I've gone and activated big sister mode._

"So you think you might actually like him too, but that's uncomfortable for you and you're not certain he's emotionally trustworthy." Artemis said softly.

Lina stared at her. "You are not a therapist, although Merlin knows we could all probably use one. I am allowing this conversation to continue because you are my only friend, and I happen to have some respect for the man. I wanted your advice on letting him down easily," she said tautly.

"Sirius Black is stubborn, and I would guess he probably enjoys the chase more than most men. But he's not stupid, and he's unbelievably kind. If he thought his attentions were truly unwanted he would stop. So consciously or not, you've maybe indicated he has a chance." Artemis pulled a piece of parchment out of her pocket and handed it to Lina. "This is the letter he sent me."

 _Kitten,_

 _I've enclosed a drawing for you, also one for my Vixen whenever she shows up. Your Sunday message came through loud and clear, as did Wednesday's. I'm trying to use the dictation quills so Moony can read them later. The boss asked him to make contact with a group like yours. He's only here for his time of the month. I don't want to burden you, but I'm really worried about him. He hates being there. I think something happened when he met with them in the last war, but he won't talk about it. Vixen will probably tell you this when you see her, but his furry little problem has become a bit more challenging since you left. The potion seems ineffective and even Snuffles couldn't distract him from trying to get out. I think he's just really stressed about everything that's going on and it's manifesting itself like this. Hopefully the group will give him a clear answer soon and he won't have to be there as often._

 _Now on to my completely selfish problem. In light of everything that's going on, it's probably foolish to worry about, but you've never made me feel foolish about anything, so here goes…I met your foxy friend over a year ago before I moved home. She and Moony came to find me. There was a caravan, a hippogriff, some gypsies, and a car wash involved – it was brilliant. Anyway…your friend is magnificent – clever, pretty, and I think she has a whimsical streak behind that femme fatale persona. So I asked if I could maybe send her an owl, and she said the owls wouldn't be able to find her – because she didn't even tell me her real name! Then after you were gone she shows up at the house with your letter, joins our group, and saves my life in the incident with the little stag. So I tried to ask her out on a date, and she refused, but – she told me her name! And I_ _know_ _I make her laugh sometimes, though she tries not to show it. That makes me think she might be open to the possibility, even if she's not ready yet. Which is fine – Merlin knows the world's crazy enough right now. She may not want the attentions of an ex-con. But when she's there with you, could you maybe try to find out how she feels? If she's not interested I'll drop it, word of honor. But if there's a chance…well, she's worth it and I can be patient._

 _S ~_

"Bloody hell," Lina whispered, dropping down to sit on the front steps of Artemis' little house.

"You thinking about giving him a chance?"

"No, we're quite finished discussing me, thank you…you are not moving or acting like an Auror. What is going on?"

The silence that followed quickly became uncomfortable. Lina watched Artemis begin to say something several times, but then just end up closing her mouth and looking frustrated. So Lina began throwing out options.

"You've been infected with lycanthropy."

"No."

"You're dying of some incurable disease?"

"No."

"You're really here as a spy for MCUSA to prevent a werewolf uprising."

"No. Although I'd support them if they tried it."

"You're really in love with Sirius and you want him for yourself."

"No. Don't be ridiculous."

"You're throwing Remus over for one of these lads?"

" _No_!"

"You've had a torrid affair with Dumbledore and you're carrying his child."

 _Silence._

"Artemis why in the name of Merlin's bloody beard did that one not get a response!"

 _Silence._

" _Artemis…_ "

"It's Remus," she finally whispered. "And it wasn't a torrid affair, it was a drunken one-night stand…and…and I'm five months along."

"Oh…"

"Really? That's all you're going to say?"

"Congratulations?"

"Holy hippogriff, Lina, surely you can do better than that!"

"Well, I don't know, do I?! I'm not the 'cooing over babies' friend. I'm the 'help hide the bodies' friend!"

"Tell me he's not going to hate me."

"I think he'll be even more of a mess than he already is worrying about you. And I think Sirius will be overly excited and start planning all manner of ridiculous baby-centered activities. But I don't think anyone could hate you…Does the baby…have the disease?"

"I don't know."

* * *

On Sunday afternoon, evening for London, Artemis was getting ready to radio-call Grimmauld Place again. "Oh Merlin, I almost forgot!" yelped Lina. "Wait, don't try to contact them yet." She dashed into the bedroom and dug frantically through her bag. "Here!" she called as she came back into the living room. "Now you can see them and have a proper conversation." Pulling out her wand, that the werewolves agreed she could have back, Lina enlarged a familiar gold mirror and set it on the coffee table.

"That's great!" said Artemis excitedly as the two women sat side by side on the sofa. They could see Sirius making a cup of tea, while Kreacher sat at the table polishing what looked like numerous pieces of jewelry. Artemis tried to harness the thrum of the magic in her veins and focus it on the radio sitting on the table. As if it were in the very room with them she heard the music begin, and immediately started to laugh. Instead of _Put on a Happy Face_ , she had inadvertently started Stevie Wonder.

 _I just called to say I love you_

 _I just called to let you know I care_

"Sirius can you hear me?" Artemis called, her voice probably louder than it needed to be, as Sirius immediately grabbed for the volume knob and turned it down.

"Merlin, my eardrums are bleeding, woman!" he muttered toward the radio as he grabbed some parchment and the nearby quill.

"I'm sorry," Artemis laughed and lowered her voice. "Is that better?" The quill began scratching its own way across the paper, as Sirius stared dumbfounded at the radio.

"Wait, can you hear me?" he asked. "That means…Vixen!" he cried, throwing his arms wide and turning towards the mirror. "You made it!"

"Hello, Black" answered Lina, trying to sound bored and being thankful he couldn't see the smile on her face.

"Are you smiling? It sounds like you're smiling," he said suspiciously, looking between the mirror and the radio as if he could see her by peering more closely at the items.

"No, of course not!"

"Yes, she was!" sang Artemis unhelpfully.

Sirius couldn't stop his own ridiculously happy smile. "So…you're there with Kitten, and we can talk to each other, and everyone's good, yeah?"

"Artemis is safe, the people here are strangely nice, we're all good," Lina answered, grateful for the change in topic.

"How's Remus?" interjected Artemis. "Did he get my letter? I…haven't gotten any from him." She tried not to let her disappointment bleed into her voice, but Sirius looked like he understood.

"Moony's having a rough time, Kitten," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Dumbledore asked him to go undercover with the werewolf pack here. He's gone pretty much all the time. He apparates back just in time to transform here and then returns as soon as it's morning, so they don't know he's left. He's afraid to stay there during the full moon, but he won't talk about it. I haven't had a real conversation with him in a month."

"The two brothers I told you about were with a different pack about ten years ago. They said it was pretty violent. Does he…how did he take my letter? Did he talk about it at all?"

A wide smile creased his face. "Absolutely refused to discuss it. He said I was meddling and needed to mind my own business, and then proceeded to carry the thing around with him and reread it every chance he got. I caught him over and over again trying to put it away as fast as possible without wrinkling the parchment. So whatever you said hit him hard."

Artemis blushed and smiled down at her lap.

"Hey! Are you girls still there?" called Sirius, coming closer to the mirror.

"Yes, Artemis is just having a soppy moment," replied Lina. "How are things there?"

"Ah, well, Harry seems to think Draco Malfoy has officially joined with Voldemort and is working on some heinous plan. Dumbledore hasn't mentioned being concerned about it, so we'll see. I don't put it past Lucius Malfoy's son to join up as soon as possible, though I admit Harry seems carry a particular grudge against him, so he may not be entirely unbiased."

"That's rich coming from a grown man who still refers to his school enemy as Snivellus," Artemis drawled out.

"My bias is completely earned and reasonable," he retorted.

"Relevant intel only please, Black," interrupted Lina.

"Right. Well, things are basically at a stalemate. They try to cause trouble; we try to stop them. Most of the time we manage it, sometimes we don't. I think Dumbledore's working on something, but he won't talk about it. I'm planning to quiz Harry over Christmas. Speaking of Harry, I think he might have eyes for Ginny Weasley…he was acting a little odd before they left for school."

Artemis laughed. "Sweet and sassy. Probably good for Harry, not let him get too wrapped up in his own head."

"So what's happening there? Any chance you can bust her out, Vixen?"

"I don't think busting her out is feasible right now, she's safe and we don't want to create any negative repercussions for the others who live here," answered Lina thoughtfully.

"You're worried about the other werewolves?" Sirius asked with a puzzled frown.

"Sirius, they aren't like regular werewolves. Something's changed about them since they were infected. They've learned to control it somehow," said Artemis excitedly. "If I can figure it out and tell Remus it would open up a whole new world for him."

"So there's spells that help them stay in control? They don't need to buy a potion?"

"They claim it's not a spell," cautioned Lina. "I think Artemis is being a little too optimistic. We don't know enough about what they do yet. I think they're safe and they mean well, but they say they took control over the disease by praying to some deity."

"Well I'm not ashamed to admit I've thrown up a few prayers to anybody that might be out there lately. I'm worried about Remus and things are getting more chaotic here. All-out war hasn't started yet, but it's coming. I wouldn't mind some extra help," shrugged Sirius.

Lina smiled and shook her head. "That sounds a little naïve coming from you, Black."

"And she's smiling again, so by naïve she means adorable!" chirped Artemis.

"Brilliant," Sirius grinned.

* * *

Finally convinced that the strange group of werewolves was safe…at least as safe as it was possible for a werewolf to be, Lina genuinely enjoyed the time she was able to spend on the reservation with her friend. When her two weeks were up, she found herself uncharacteristically emotional, as she prepared to say goodbye.

"Thanks for looking after my boys," said Artemis, trying to keep things light.

"I'm sure they aren't eating as well as they were when you were there, but Molly does her best…Artemis, I won't be able to come back," Lina added softly. "Your lot's added all sorts of extra security measures at passport control and along the borders. They've even enchanted the Muggle metal detectors to run scans for traces of Polyjuice Potion and glamours. If they pick me up again I won't be getting out."

"Then I'll look you up in about five years," responded Artemis, smiling, her eyes beginning to tear. "Oh, and please don't say anything about the baby. There's enough going on over there. I don't want to cause more stress."

Lina frowned, but nodded as she embraced her friend. "This'll be the longest we've gone without seeing each other. You try and stay out of any more trouble."

"Me?" laughed Artemis through her tears. "I've always been the one getting you out of trouble!"

Lina raised her eyebrows. "And yet here you are, while I am going home."

"Oh shut up," muttered Artemis as she grabbed Lina in another tight hug. "I love you. Be safe."

"Same," smiled Lina. A moment later Ellie was scooping up a small red fox and carrying her through the barrier and out of the reservation.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30 ~ November, 1996

The lingering scream still hung in the air as Sirius sat bolt upright in bed. Grabbing his wand, he crept out of the room and down the darkened staircase, alert for any sounds. His own breaths were hollow in his ear as he slowly moved down to the final landing.

"What is Master Sirius doing?" croaked Kreacher, from the shadows.

Muffling a curse, Sirius took a deep breath and lowered his wand. He'd hate to try and explain to Artemis how he'd wound up kicking Kreacher down a flight of stairs.

"Did you hear that scream?" Sirius asked him gruffly.

"Kreacher has heard the Mud– has heard Miss Lina," he amended himself, nodding his wrinkled old head.

"It was Lina?" asked Sirius, not waiting for an answer before he spun and dashed back up the stairs to the room where she was staying. He hesitated outside the door, and hearing a faint whimper, slowly opened it, wand held defensively.

"Lina?" he called softly. Met with only silence, he whisper-cast Lumos to light the tip of his wand, and crept closer to the bed. Lina was frowning in her sleep, tear stains on her cheeks and covers rumpled. A nightmare. Sighing in relief, Sirius sat gingerly on the edge of the bed and set his wand on the nightstand.

"Lina?" he tried again a little louder, shaking her shoulders gently.

Hissing in a breath, Lina sat up and shoved him backwards, pressing herself back against the headboard. Sirius landed with a thump and a not very muffled curse on the floor. "Ow," he muttered, standing up and stretching his back.

"Merlin's knickers, Black, what are you doing?!" Lina yelled at him, breathing heavily from the sudden waking.

Sirius sat on the bed again, peering at her intently. "You had a nightmare I think. I heard you scream and came to check. Are you all right?"

Lina sighed and slumped down a little. "Oh. Yeah, I'm fine."

"Do you want to talk about it? I mean…I've had my fair share too," Sirius said with a rueful smile.

Lina frowned. "I…well…it's just because of what happened in America." She moved closer to him so she could still sit and pull the covers up to her chin, shivering slightly. "I was picked up at customs in the States. They locked me up for a month while they evaluated the purpose of my visit. The cell was…very similar to a cell I'd been locked up in in Russia once. And I guess you could say I have a little bit of a phobia about it."

She met his eyes looking very shy and young, and it was all Sirius could do not to reach up and brush the last of the tears from her lashes. "That's understandable," he finally said, settling for patting her knee awkwardly under the covers. "My dreams are similar."

Lina moved even closer, and Sirius blinked at her. She was close enough for him to kiss her, which he certainly wasn't going to do…hopefully.

"How did you stand it?" she whispered urgently. "You're so bloody hopeful all the time. How did twelve years in Azkaban not stamp all that optimism out of you?" She studied his soft grey eyes, any hint of blue hidden by the wand light.

Sirius broke away from her gaze before he did something abysmally foolish. "I guess I'd just always thought that… well, that my death would have meaning," he said. "And dying in Azkaban…for a crime I hadn't committed, when I had lost everyone. I just didn't believe that was how my story would end. And I wasn't so much hopeful at the time, but obsessed with the idea of making things right. And now here on the other side of it, I can have hope because I've seen things change."

Lina let her head fall onto his shoulder and mumbled, "I don't want a cage to be the thing that breaks me."

Sirius brought his hand up to the back of her head and tentatively stroked her long hair, as if she might dart away at any moment like her fox. "I don't think a cage will be the end of your story," he said, his voice huskier than normal. "You've been locked up twice and escaped that fate twice now, so that should give you hope."

"In my dream this time I had been locked into a cell with a werewolf," she said softly. "That must have been when I screamed. But…then it just stood there and watched me, like it was waiting for me to do something…" Suddenly Lina pulled away and stared at Sirius with wide eyes. "They're waiting for me to do something!"

"Wha…?" was all Sirius got out before Lina had jumped out of the bed and grabbed her wand, lighting the lamps in the room. She yanked a jumper over her head and threw open the door, turning back to Sirius expectantly. "Are you coming? I need one of your dictation quills. We're going to write up a proposal for a Werewolf Amnesty Program!"

* * *

It was far too warm in the room, and Lina was starting to feel irritable. One would think having an ex-Auror as Minister of Magic would help things along, but Scrimgeour seemed so determined to look like he was doing something, that he wasn't really taking the time to make sure all the things he was doing were the right things. She sincerely hoped Shacklebolt was as capable in managing Scrimgeour as he seemed confident.

"Miss Laurent, let's not pretend," he began in his slow, deliberate voice. "You don't play well with others and have shown precious little interest in contributing to the Ministry's coordinated efforts against Dark Wizards thus far. Why are you so concerned now?"

Only Kingsley's extensive experience handling politicians allowed him to keep a straight face, when Lina simply gave Scrimgeour a nonchalant little lift of her shoulders and stated, "Well sir, I have a dog in this fight."

"Hmm, well I'm glad that there is some feeling of national concern buried in you. Britain has long prided itself on its greater tolerance for all manner of magical creatures, these more recent reactionary laws notwithstanding. I personally have no problems with werewolves as long as they are registered and check in with the Magical Beast or Being Division after each full moon. But I am quite curious as to how you are planning to make use of them."

At this point Kingsley spoke up. "Minister, what I am about to tell you cannot leave this room. It is imperative that the Americans do not know what we have discovered about this particular group of werewolves until they are here on British soil, or preferably never."

Scrimgeour knit his bushy eyebrows together. "I can't say I'm too concerned with playing fair when it comes to MCUSA. They have been highly uncooperative in our attempts to monitor known Voldemort supporters within their borders."

Kingsley nodded before leaning closer over the table and lowering his voice. "This particular group has encountered a rare kind of magic. They are in complete control during their transformations, and can transform at will, with or without a full moon. That is a weapon the Death Eaters will never expect or be able to understand."

"And if they are able to share this magic with the other werewolves in Britain, it will give us a decided advantage," added Lina.

"And in exchange for their service, you are offering them what?" asked the Minister, never losing his solemn golden stare.

"No more than what werewolves already have in this country – freedom. They can live and work where and how they please, and in exchange they will make themselves available to fight."

Scrimgeour leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers together, pondering the strange offer.

"And technically, sir," added Lina, "seven of the residents are British citizens."

"Then why are they in an American prison camp?" he asked, frowning at her.

"They were children that Voldemort turned during the last war. The Ministry at the time didn't feel they could cope with a group of werewolf children who had no one willing to take responsibility for them."

His scowl deepened. "Yes, I remember the incident…Very well. Shacklebolt, you may approach MCUSA with your proposal. But this entire operation is on your head and yours alone, do you understand?"

"Yes, Minister," said Kingsley, nodding.

"Out of curiosity, how are you planning to convince the Americans to a prisoner transfer of this kind without explaining why we want them?"

"Oh, I'm sure we can find a way to spin it, sir," said Lina with a faint smile.

* * *

Kingsley Shacklebolt had plenty of experience finessing politicians, but MCUSA's President, Ariadne Papadopoulos, was a new ball of wax. She was oily, vindictive and ten times more cunning than Cornelius Fudge had been. She would never agree to anything merely because it was the right thing to do. There had better be something significant in it for her country, or even just for her.

"Madame President, the reality is that we have reached a bit of a stalemate in our efforts against Voldemort. Some of his top followers managed to escape from Azkaban Prison earlier this year, and their contributions to his cause have been rather a plague on us," began Kingsley.

The President smiled at him in a decidedly unfriendly manner. "I've been saying since the seventies, that Britain's repeal of capital punishment would come back to bite you," she cooed in a horrendously thick southern accent. "Now here, all of those Death Eaters would have been properly executed the first time around…save us all this nasty business."

Kingsley offered a slight shrug of his shoulders. "Perhaps. That issue is outside my purview. But I understood that each state in this country was permitted to decide the issue of capital punishment for itself."

"Oh of course, Mr. Shacklebolt! But rest assured that all of our prisons and most of our magical beast reservations are located within states that still use said punishment quite judiciously. Now, to the matter at hand, I must confess myself quite astounded that your Ministry even remembered the werewolf transfer from 1981, let alone that you might want them back. Tell me, what is it exactly that you plan to do with them?"

"Use them," Kingsley stated bluntly. "As you said, Madame President, without the recourse of capital punishment we are looking into other methods of dealing with our enemies."

"Yes, well I like the way you think, sir, but how are you planning to control them? It seems a very haphazard weapon."

"Ah, well, it is not so much an issue of controlling them as…unleashing them…at the proper time among the proper people."

The woman fiddled with one of the grey sausage curls poking crazily off her head. "I see. And how are you planning to convince them to join you? Why would they give up what they have here?"

"I tell them it is freedom. They can live and work where they choose…as long as they make themselves available to the Ministry when we need them. I also have leave to make this offer to other werewolves from their reservation if they desire to join us. If that's agreeable to you, of course."

President Papadopoulos squinted at him across the desk, trying to discern if there was some other hidden agenda. "And you aren't concerned about offering this freedom to so many dangerous creatures at once?"

Kingsley offered his own cynical smile. "If they assume I will only use them once a month but I find other uses for them the rest of the time, I am hardly responsible for the misunderstanding, now am I?"

The woman smiled back, her eyes hard. "Indeed. Well, Mr. Shacklebolt, do as you will. And I will be very interested to hear if this…experiment works the way you intend. You may liaison with Adams in the Magical Beast Division when you are prepared to take possession."

"On behalf of the Ministry of Magic I offer my humblest thanks, Madame President. And you will be the first to know if this 'experiment' works as we desire. Then you can reap the benefits without worrying about any of the cost." Shaking her hand, Kingsley left the office and the building as quickly as possible, wondering if he had time to stop back by the hotel and shower away the lingering creepy feeling before he returned to England.

* * *

** That was a tiny bit of a hint of fluff, right? Don't worry about Sirius - Lina will come around. ;) They finally have a plan to get Artemis back, but there are pieces to get into place, so hang tight! Our crew is in November right now, and things will all come to a head at the end of January. ;)


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31 ~ November, 1996

Artemis was having her twice-weekly radio/mirror call with Sirius when she saw Lina burst into the kitchen waving a sheaf of papers around.

"They agreed!" she shouted, grabbing Sirius by the shoulders and spinning him around. "We can bring whoever wants to come! They'll send a representative in the morning, so we need to tell Artemis about it right away," she finished, breathless and coming to a stop.

"Wait until you hear this ridiculously brilliant plan Vixen has come up with," said Sirius up to the mirror with a big grin.

As Lina caught her breath and prepared to give Artemis a run down on her plan, Kreacher crept out of the pantry to listen.

"It's a Werewolf Amnesty Program," said Lina, grinning broadly. "The Americans agreed to transfer custody to the Ministry, so you can all come here and live."

"Why on earth would they agree to that?" asked Artemis, stunned.

"Well, we had to spin it so it sounded like we were recruiting them to fight Voldemort."

"Lina, I don't know that they'll agree to that. They don't have any love for your government or ours."

"Are you doubting the master? This will work if they're willing to take the chance. How many of my plans ever failed?"

Artemis smiled at Lina's mildly offended expression. "A Lina Laurent Plan only fails due to unforeseen circumstances," she quoted, her voice mockingly imitating a radio advertiser. "Yes, friends, with a Lina Laurent Plan, all foreseeable circumstances are manipulated to ensure the greatest chance of success. We guarantee complete satisfaction or your money back!"

"When you're finished mocking me, you're welcome to list off all the jobs you would deem unsuccessful," Lina said dryly. "What's that? Crickets chirping?" she added, cupping a hand to her ear. "Maybe I should tell them myself, if you're going to be an Eeyore about it. As positive as you are all the time, if you present the idea with half that much doubt they certainly won't want to hear about it."

"Kreacher can take Miss Lina to the half-breeds," the old elf said slowly, eyeing Lina distastefully before turning expectantly to the mirror.

"That would be wonderful, Kreacher, but are you sure? I don't want you to be hurt if it's too difficult," came Artemis' concerned voice through the radio.

"Now that Kreacher knows where he is going it will be easier," came the raspy reply.

Lina shrugged and rolled up the papers, tucking them into her jacket and holding out her hand. "Lead the way, then."

Kreacher wrinkled his long nose slightly before placing his hand on hers and the two of them vanished with a loud crack. Sirius heard the answering crack over the radio as they appeared in Artemis' living room, and her subsequent cheer. She gave Kreacher a biscuit and asked him to wait there while she and Lina went to the dining hall to hash out whatever strategy Lina had concocted.

"Wish us luck, Padfoot!" called Artemis to the mirror.

"You won't need luck. It's a solid scheme. Try to let me know how it goes later!"

The two women crossed the grassy yard to the dining hall, all conversation coming to a halt as the group saw Lina in the doorway. "I have an idea to get all of you off this reservation if you're interested," Lina announced boldly, pulling out the papers from her jacket and handing them to Kieran. He took them, frowning at her and began to shuffle through them as the rest took their seats and Jane began passing around lunch.

"What is this…" Kieran said, his voice stunned, as he read through the paperwork. "They're offering us a chance to emigrate through a British Werewolf Amnesty Program?"

"Ridiculous. Why would MCUSA let us go after all the speeches we were given about eradicating the disease and keeping people safe?" asked Alma suspiciously.

"Partly because you wouldn't be MCUSA's problem anymore, and partly because they want to see how it goes… um… weaponizing werewolves."

It took several minutes for Lina to be heard again after the uproar that statement created.

"But that's…that's how we got into this mess in the first place!" said Gareth, sounding incensed.

"That's crazy!"

"You want people's deaths to be on our hands?"

"You can't sell us to a different country to be used as weapons!"

"I will not die for a country that kicked me out to begin with," added Catherine furiously.

"Wait, wait! Please hear me out first!" Lina tried to shout over the other voices.

"Everybody hold up a minute!" said Xavier, raising his voice for maybe the first time in ten years. As the others quieted down in surprise, he turned his attention to Lina. "You are not a soldier," he said decisively. "Based on all the stories Artemis has told about you… you don't follow orders, you don't worry about the greater good, and you don't play politics. So what is your angle here?"

Lina offered him a half smile and nodded. "Thank you. I have spent all of my adult life, which I'll admit isn't extensive, trying to help people who had no other recourse than…well, someone like me. I don't play by the rules, and I do what I have to do to get things done. I promise I'm not trying to use you or deceive you in any way. This was a way I could get Artemis out of here and offer all of you a chance at a different life too."

"All right, then," said Kieran, leaning back in his chair and pulling at his beard thoughtfully, "tell us your plan."

"You won't have to fight if you don't want to. The official overseeing the transfer is part of our Order. It's a secret group who's concerned about fighting darkness, not politics. The Minister of Magic was read in on how your situation is different than other werewolves, but the Americans are not aware of it. We told President Papadopoulos, who is a horror by the way, that we would be using you in a similar fashion to what they experienced in the last war," said Lina, gesturing towards Gareth and Catherine. "But what we're really trying to do is offer you a chance to not only get off this reservation and live however you choose to live, but to fight with us, against this darkness. Because the reality is that Voldemort has supporters in this country, and if he wins control of my home I promise you he will come after yours. But no one will force you to fight."

"I will come with you," said Daisy quietly. Everyone turned to look at the timid girl in surprise. "If our abilities are a gift, then what right do we have to keep that to ourselves? If we go then we can teach Artemis' friend and the other werewolves in England. They might be more free than us, but they're still trapped by the curse of the disease like we used to be."

"If Daisy's going then I'm going," said Joshua. "I promised to marry her, and well…I…um…I can't do that if she's not…here…" he fumbled, blushing furiously as he realized what he'd said. Daisy was staring at him with wide eyes, surprise and joy written across her face.

Catherine raised her eyebrows and shot a look at Gareth, who was smiling and shaking his head.

"We'll come too," said Isabel decisively, fixing a glare on Catherine and Gareth. "It maybe wasn't our home, but it is our fight. I don't want the people that hurt us and hurt Finn ruining more lives. And I'm sure not letting part of my family leave without me."

"We'll all at least consider it," said Kieran, ending the discussion. "We don't have to decide right at this moment. What do they mean here by 'in light of public opinion'?" he added, still looking through the pieces of parchment.

"Oh, well, the wizarding families that live nearby may have written some letters complaining about the number of residents, suggesting that MCUSA limit the number of werewolves at this location by participating in Britain's new program," Lina offered. "Keeping their own citizens happy is an added incentive."

The others looked at her in confusion. "How could they have suggested that if Kingsley only just managed to convince the new Minister of Magic to start the program?" asked Artemis. "How would they have known about it?"

"Besides, no one has ever made any complaints before," added Marcus. "The wizarding families that live anywhere near here know how well concealed and secure this place is."

Lina shrugged. "I guess people can change their minds about their neighbors."

Artemis studied Lina's face intently, her brows drawn together in disapproval. "Or someone can change their minds for them," she said. "Did you use an Imperious Curse?" she whispered in astonishment.

Lina looked back at her wide-eyed. "Kreacher popped me over last week and I just made some convincing arguments," she said in a slightly hurt tone. "And stop looking so self-righteous," she whispered so no one else could hear. "They just wrote letters. And it helped, didn't it?"

Artemis stared at her. "Unbelievable," she muttered. "How am I the one with the criminal record?"

* * *

The bell of the shop door chimed cheerfully as a customer stumbled over the doorframe out of the cold rain. Remus looked up from the front counter as the door slammed shut and a petite figure pulled off a knit hat and shook the rain from it vigorously as she ran a hand through short pink hair. Tonks made her way up to the counter and leaned close to Remus. "I'm looking for some spy novels," she said in a low voice, winking at him.

Remus smiled. "Nobody's here but me," he said, "so the pretense is unnecessary."

"Wotcher, Remus!" Tonks responded brightly. "How's pack life?"

"Not terrible, not wonderful. I'm sorry about the last full moon, by the way. Sirius said you came to help."

Tonks nodded understandingly. "No worries. I'm just here to pick up the report for the Order meeting. Any progress?"

"There are a few who might join us if push came to shove, but they aren't willing to step out yet. Some have been listening to Fenrir Greyback – that if more people are infected they can overthrow wizard-rule, revenge themselves on normal people. But most still seem to think they can abstain from choosing sides," he answered, handing her a roll of parchment. "Here are the details."

"Cheers. Listen, Sirius and Artemis figured out a way to talk through her radio and an old mirror he has. Maybe next time you're home you can try and talk to her. It might make you feel better."

Remus took a deep breath and shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea. Hearing her would probably make things harder, and you clearly saw I'm having a hard enough time as it is."

Tonks pursed her lips looked at him thoughtfully. "Remus if the pack isn't willing to choose sides, then maybe you've done all you can here. Why don't you come home?"

"I don't want to give up on them. Voldemort won't hesitate to make ludicrous promises and then slaughter them all. I don't agree with how they live, but they don't deserve that. How are things going with Kingsley?" he asked, plainly changing the subject.

"We've gone out a few times, but there doesn't seem to be much of a spark, you know? And he's been pretty busy working on some super secretive plan to get more American support. Sirius keeps dragging me to karaoke nights. He's gathered quite the little following at that club. Lina went with us once, and was so disgusted by his groupies that she refuses to come back," Tonks laughed. "I don't know if she was irritated by the women in general or if she was irritated by how Sirius acted like he was enjoying it. I say acted because anyone with eyes in his head could see he's only interested in her. Molly's finally given up throwing me at Bill I think. Good thing too, because Fleur was started to get a little annoyed by it. I've been out on a couple missions with her, and she's great – a little condescending in how she talks sometimes, but she's French, so…" Tonks shrugged. "Anyway…I better get back. I'll tell Sirius you're doing all right, yeah?"

Remus nodded, appearing more relaxed after her frivolous chatter. "Thanks, Tonks. Stay safe."

"You too!" she called back over her shoulder as she slammed back out the door into the rain.

Sinking slowly onto the stool behind the counter, Remus let his shoulders slump and buried his face in his hands. He couldn't even name the churning in his heart. He was jealous that Sirius was able to talk to her, but terrified of what might happen if he heard her voice. For the first time in years the nightmarish whisper was back in his head, telling him this was too much. All the pain - physical, mental, and emotional - was too much for him to handle. And there was too much at stake for him to be a liability. That glimmer of hope he'd begun to feel earlier in the year seemed to mock him.

Hope. The name of the mother who gave up all her own dreams for him. He'd heard her one night, crying. She'd wanted more children, but his father had convinced her it was better to focus all their energies on him. Other children would not only be at risk from him, but the constant care and moving houses, and just overall stress wouldn't be good for other children. His mother had been devastated, and he'd watched both his father and mother age before their time from the stress. If he'd died from Greyback's bite, maybe things would have been different.

Hope. What he'd felt the first time he woke up after a full moon surrounded by a stag, a dog, and a rat staring down at him. But eventually that hope had faded, replaced by fear and mistrust. Remus wondered if Sirius would have caught on to Peter's deception earlier if he hadn't been focused on the werewolf. If he hadn't been around then, maybe things would have been different.

Hope. That elusive flame in his heart that he hadn't recognized had waned until a raven-haired witch with strange speech stirred the embers to life. One momentary lapse of control, a brief desire for affection and comfort, and he'd bound himself to her. Now he was of little use to the Order, and causing Sirius far too much worry the few hours he was at Grimmauld Place each month. Was Artemis experiencing the same thing? Her letter hadn't indicated that, but he doubted she would say so even if it were. His hands trembled thinking he could have caused her to suffer this same fate. The unfulfilled bond could very well kill him. If he decided to help it along, maybe things could be different.

His wand shook in his hand. It was just two little words. The bell over the shop door clanged again, and Remus dropped his wand in surprise. Looking soaked, uncertain, and more than a little irritated, Isak Horváth stood in the doorway. Catching sight of Remus at the counter, the Roma werewolf trudged up and said in a gruff voice, "My mother sent me. She was insistent that I needed to come here and ask the man at the counter if the fighter still remains. I thought it was some strange book title, but I guess not."

Remus could only stare at him. His skin felt clammy and his heart was racing. "How did she…I was going to…" his hoarse whisper trailing off.

"She's a Seer," he responded with a shrug. "Sometimes I think she's completely mental and sometimes she's dead on." He studied Remus for a moment. "Looks like maybe she was right this time."

Remus nodded slowly. "Tell her…tell her it was a very near thing."

Isak nodded in return and pulled a dark blue flask from his pocket. "Take this. Home brew. It will help with the pain tomorrow."

Remus' outstretched hand was still trembling slightly as he accepted the flask. Turning to leave, Isak paused at the door. "She also said you need to gather your fighters, that sometimes they will hope for you when you can't hope for yourself."

Remus sucked in a breath. The door banged shut as the other werewolf left, bell clanging once more. He shakily stood and moved to put the Closed sign in the window. Maybe he should try to leave early and have dinner with Sirius and Lina before he had to transform tonight.

* * *

If you feel like your hope has run out, please tell someone. Things might be different without you, but I promise they won't be better without you. Don't listen to that voice. Someone can hope for you if you can't hope for yourself.

Hi Guest! So Remus and Artemis fluff is going to have to wait until maybe March? (Their March, not ours!) Not totally sure yet. They've got some issues to work through! But there will be other fluff sprinkled in here and there. I don't by any means think the werewolves in Britain have an ideal life, but they are more free than American werewolves, so I think that would be a powerful motivator. The employment restrictions seem to have be put in place sometime during the 4th book, after Remus teaches at Hogwarts, but by book 5, Umbridge is mentioned as having been instrumental in getting the legislation passed. But it's an age-old question...how much familiarity and safety do we trade for liberty?


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32 ~ December, 1996

Kieran sat at the large roll top desk in the small office, mindful that in a few short weeks this space would no longer be his. He ran his fingers over the worn writing surface. This desk had served the leaders of this reservation for over a hundred years. Nana claimed the reservation idea was one the wizarding community actually took from the No-Maj government. When the No-Maj Congress began moving Native Americans onto reservations, MCUSA thought they had found a solution to their magical beast containment issues. It worked better for some species than others. The shy Sasquatch tribes in the Pacific Northwest were quite content to stay on their land, while the Great Lake Mermaids had continual uprisings fighting for free movement up and down rivers systems. Grindylows were the hardest to control. Their swampy homelands bled smoothly into rivers, lakes and gulf areas. The werewolves were fairly easy to keep contained, but opinions on the efficacy of the reservations varied widely among the residents. At least, Kieran assumed they did. All his knowledge of how reservations operate came from his singular experience and hearsay from Xander and Xavier and the former Aurors.

He read over Lina's paperwork for the tenth time, wanting to ensure that he wasn't missing some fine print that was going to ruin everyone's lives. He had a responsibility to take care of these people, after all. They had chosen him to represent them in communicating with MCUSA and the British Ministry of Magic. The soft knock at the door had him on his feet, ushering Nana, Grams, Marcus and Alma into the small room.

"What can I do for you?" Kieran asked. "I was just going over the details again."

"Well, we just wanted to let you know that Lois and I decided not to go," said Nana.

"That's right." said Grams firmly. "Elspeth and me's too old to go gallivanting over to England and start over. And we figure somebody needs to keep the place going in case we get anybody new. They ain't gonna know how things are supposed to work."

Kieran nodded, but looked concerned. "I understand how you feel, but I don't want to leave just the two of you here. Nana can't keep this place running on her own, it's not enough magic."

"They'll have help," answered Marcus. "Alma and I are staying too." The dark, quiet woman nodded in agreement. "And we figure MCUSA might try to shift some people over from the Northwest Res. So like, Grams said, we want to make sure they get settled and know how things work."

"You're sure?"

"I don't want to give my life defending a country that is not my own," said Alma firmly. "To be honest, I don't think this is going to go the way you hope. I don't understand why you're trusting that woman."

Kieran smiled. "It's not about trusting her. It's about trusting what Grams sees and trusting who we are. Marcus, I'll draw up the paperwork to name you Mayor Pro Tem. Then when the term is up next year you can have an election."

Marcus smiled and shook his hand. "We're going to miss you all. Don't think we're not."

Kieran swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. "Well, we've still got a few weeks."

"Do you think everything's in order?" asked Marcus.

Kieran nodded. "I think so. Ellie's decided to go back, as long as she and Finn can be in hiding, and she's not planning to fight. Daisy wants to go for the other werewolves that live there, but isn't sure about fighting either. Isabel's on the warpath, and has convinced the other kids they're owed a chance to fight the people that used them. So naturally Oscar and Rosa are going too. Apparently Rosa has fighting experience working security for something to do with Oscar's family business."

"Yes, that was where they met," said Nana, smiling. "She was his bodyguard. What about the others?"

"Xander and Xavier are in and willing to fight. I'm going, and then Jane and Hawthorne are undecided."

"I don't think Hawthorne will be undecided much longer," said Marcus, shaking his head. "He received divorce papers from his wife in today's mail, and I heard him mutter something about seeing Hadrian's Wall once more before he dies."

Kieran frowned. "That's rough. Well, that means Jane will come too, maybe this will give the two of them a chance. Grams, I'm gonna confess I'm a little concerned about not having you with us. Your gifts would be extremely helpful."

Grams smiled and nodded. "Don't you worry, son. I've decided to pass on my gifts to Daisy."

"Daisy?" asked Alma in surprise, her beautiful features were just slightly marred by the faint look of disfavor. "She's a very sweet girl, but she's…well, scatty and timid."

"Yes, but she was the first to recognize what could be at stake here. If the werewolves in England are open to what she can share with them, it could change not only their lives, but be a game changer for their war."

"So you agree with turning us into weapons?" said Alma incredulously.

"I agree with being allowed to fight for what you believe in. Their government as much as ours is content to judge and make decisions based on what they think we are. If we can show them werewolves are something else, then I think that's a chance we should give them. And fighting against that Voldy-man is a pretty decisive way to do it."

"But you wish to to still keep us a secret here?"

"It's not our time, not if you are truly concerned about being used as a weapon. But I believe it is their time over there. Their culture already allows for free movement of werewolves. Perhaps if MCUSA sees what is possible in England, they will consider changing their draconian laws concerning magical beasts. You're a good leader, Kieran," Grams added, patting his arm. "Y'all are gonna be just fine."

* * *

 _She's not on the list…She's not on the list…She's not on the list…_ The litany ran through Lina's head like a skip on a record album. MCUSA was apparently willing to be manipulated enough to rid themselves of a few werewolves, but drew the line at granting amnesty to Artemis, the woman they felt had played them like fools. She would stay and serve her sentence. Lina paced as her mind sifted through possibilities. Like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, she lifted and examined possible scenarios before rearranging or discarding them. She suddenly halted her long strides up and down the hallway, and turned to look at Sirius, who had been watching her pace from the upstairs landing.

He and Molly Weasley had gone through the entire house using enlarging and multiplying spells to create additional beds, bedding and shower stalls. Grimmauld Place ended up not quite as crazily put together as the Burrow, since technically the house had enough bedrooms, but the sensation of the elongated hallway from enlarging the rooms did make one feel the tiniest bit dizzy, and a couple additional bathrooms were tacked on oddly at the back. But Sirius could now fairly comfortably play host to the Americans, as long as everyone doubled up…or tripled up. He'd rather lost count as they'd gone along.

"You," Lina said thoughtfully, pointing up to him. "Get down here. I need a Marauder."

Sirius smirked at her. "I knew you couldn't withstand my charms forever."

Lina lifted her chin defiantly. "You wish. MCUSA is refusing to allow Artemis to come with the others. They say she's not a werewolf and doesn't fall under the terms of the agreement."

"Bloody buggering bureaucrats," Sirius muttered as he came down the stairs. He passed by Lina and headed into the dining room, grabbing a bottle of firewhiskey from the sideboard and a couple glasses. "I am not supposed to be drinking this much, and I blame the government. Capricious, that's what they are. No concern for my nerves, worrying about all these werewolves."

"Worry about Remus can be laid at Dumbledore's feet, not MCUSA," said Lina dryly, shaking her head as he offered her a glass.

"Don't remind me," muttered Sirius, taking a large swig from his tumbler.

"Then why follow him?"

"He's a great wizard, he defeated Gindlewald, blah, blah, blah," answered Sirius bitterly.

"He also gave your godson to people who didn't care about him and sent your best friend off to what might well prove to be his death."

"Well he's been the only one doing anything about Voldemort hasn't he!" Sirius burst out, slamming his drink down on the table.

"Exactly," said Lina, gently removing the glass from his hand. "Sometimes the enemy of my enemy can be my friend. You've said yourself that people aren't all good or all bad. We make choices. And unfortunately people you love have been on the receiving end of some of Dumbledore's poorer choices. Don't waste time being bitter about it." She stepped close to him and cupped his face in her hands. "I am cynical enough for both of us. I need you to be the optimistic one."

Sirius' heart was jumping wildly in his chest. He balled his hands into tight fists to keep from grabbing her and pulling her closer. Had her eyes flicked down at his lips, or had he just imagined that?

"Would it help your hopeful spirit if I told you that I am, albeit reluctantly, succumbing to your charms, Sirius Black?" she murmured, her eyes searching his.

Sirius swallowed hard, not able to speak. His own eyes widened as he saw her eyes flutter closed and her chin tilt up toward him. Lina's soft lips pressed against his for the briefest of moments, and all Sirius could do was stand there frozen in shock. She pulled away and smirked at his dumbfounded expression. "You can consider that an early Christmas present. But don't think you've won me yet. I find I'm rather enjoying the pursuit."

"Brilliant," he breathed out.

Lina couldn't hold back a small laugh as she shook her head at him. "Come on, Black. Did I short circuit your brain or give it a jump start? How are we going to get Artemis back here?"

Sirius blinked at her. "Kreacher," he said. "Kreacher can apparate her off the reservation. From what she said they rarely check in, so as long as she's still there when the others leave, MCUSA will assume she stayed behind."

Nodding slowly, Lina began pacing again. "Yes, that would be the simplest. As soon as the others arrive here Kreacher can fetch her. Surely apparating is safe, right? That's different from transfiguring, so it should be safe…" her voice trailed off as her last turn brought her face to face with Sirius, who was looking puzzled. "Oh, bollocks," she whispered.

"Why wouldn't apparating be safe? Or transfiguring for that matter?"

"Umm, I'm not supposed to tell you."

"Evangeline Gertrude Laurent, I just spent several days in the sole company of Molly Weasley redesigning this house to accommodate more than a dozen additional people. I deserve to know whatever you're hiding," Sirius said, frowning and crossing his arms over his chest.

"That's not my middle name," Lina huffed, mimicking his posture.

"It took me almost dying to get your first name out of you, so I made one up. Don't avoid the question."

"Well, there's just some concern as to whether it's safe for Artemis to transfigure into her animagus form right now. But apparating should be perfectly safe. She's not changing forms, so her body won't have to change…"

"Right. I'm going to try this again…Lina, why do you think it might not be safe for Artemis to transfigure herself right now?" Sirius asked, almost glaring at her.

"If you tell her that I told you, I will bloody well hex you to China and back," Lina said sternly, pointing her wand at him for good measure.

"I can't tell her anything because you haven't told me yet!" Sirius exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"She's pregnant."

Whatever reaction Lina was anticipating, the fury that crossed Sirius' face wasn't it. She took an unconscious step back as he began ranting at her. "At this moment I will at least assume that she was either taken against her will or was part of some bizarre werewolf mating ritual that she had no control over, because if I find out at any point in time that she threw herself at some American out of loneliness or desperation while Remus is here wasting away and practically welcoming death because he can't be with her, so help me I will…OW!" Sirius grabbed his arm, where a welt was quickly developing. "Why'd you use a stinging jinx, woman?!"

"Sirius Orion Black, you shut up right now before I hit somewhere more sensitive than your arm. How dare you assume those things! For your information, Remus happens to be the father. Artemis said they were drunk and he doesn't even know anything happened."

"Oh… _oh_!" A longer rant aimed at Remus ended with a second stinging jinx and a silencing charm. Lina dragged him to the kitchen and made him a cup of tea while Sirius pouted and applied some cream to the welts on his arm.

"I'm not sure which made you angrier – the idea that Artemis may have cheated on Remus or that Remus behaved so idiotically that Artemis was afraid to tell him," Lina remarked, as she set the cup of tea down in front of him and pulled up another chair, finally removing the silencing charm.

"I don't think I'm speaking to you right now," Sirius muttered over the tea cup.

"Not even to tell me if you think it's safe for her to apparate? I'm a Muggleborn mercenary. I'm not exactly burdened down by wizarding baby shower invitations."

"Yes, it's perfectly safe," Sirius sighed. "And you mentioned not all of them are planning to immigrate here, right? So we leave some Polyjuice Potion and if anyone from MCUSA shows up asking after Artemis she'll be there. And then in five years she can apparate back over and collect her release papers."

Lina smiled. "Excellent. See, I did need a Marauder."

"I seem to recall you saying you need my optimism."

"I did."

"And my hopeful spirit."

"Yes."

"And then you kissed me."

"Hmm. I'm not sure I remember that bit. Must not have been particularly noteworthy."

"You're welcome to try it again."

"Pass."

"Well I can tell you I found it breathtaking. And then I remember something you mentioned about enjoying the pursuit. Does that one ring any bells?"

"Possibly."

Sirius suddenly gave her a sad smile. "I would take great delight in pursuing you until my dying day," he said solemnly. "But don't be a tease. I don't deserve it, and you're better than that."

Lina sat there, speechless, until his footsteps had faded away up the stairs.

* * *

** Thanks for reading! Guest, I agree. I don't know how Remus has gone through the pain and struggle like he has for so many years and not have had the thought cross his mind. Also, I like the idea of Tonks' character, but since I didn't find her particularly endearing in the books I wanted to let her be someone who can lighten things up a little, just a fun and dear friend. Also, one of the reviews had a question about whether Remus knows about the baby now. I'm so sorry if this part was confusing. It's a little intentionally unclear, because Remus and Artemis are worried about two separate things. She's worried about telling him about the baby, but he doesn't know yet. He was thinking back to Chapter 17, when she spent the full moon with him transformed as the lion, and they accidentally claimed each other. So he's concerned that she's as sick and unwell being apart from him as he is being apart from her. Hope that helps!


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33 ~ December, 1996

Snow was drifting lazily down from the grey sky. Curled up on her couch with a cup of tea, Artemis opened the envelope labeled in Sirius' neat handwriting, and pulled out a worn and crumpled page of parchment. On one side Sirius' script read, _Kitten – K found this in R's room. I don't think he ever intended to send it, but you deserve to see it. Snuffles._ The flip side of the parchment was covered in Remus' messy scrawl, many lines scratched through, or blotted out. Smoothing out all the wrinkles as best she could, Artemis' heart soaked up this glimpse into Remus' thoughts.

 _A ~_

 _Thank you for your letter. I'm grateful you choose not to focus on how difficult I made things for you. I was_ _afraid to let things go too far. I always have been. Watching my mother struggle with caring for me and having to move constantly to keep people unaware of my condition was painful. I didn't want you to experience that, added to the fact that I wouldn't be able to consistently provide for a wife and family_ _. If there were to be a family, which I don't want. Not to say that I don't like children. I do, very much, but the idea that a child might suffer this curse because of me is one of my worst nightmares._

 _I'm not even sure why I'm writing this. Your letter is so precious to me, and I guess I wanted to tell you so. The truth is I love you._ _And I tried not to, but_ _now that the opportunity is lost to me, trying to keep my feelings at bay doesn't seem so important anymore. Maybe this is a chance for me to say goodbye. It seems less and less likely that I will survive this war. My transformations are becoming more violent, and my time living with the werewolf pack has not proven fruitful in gaining us any allies._ _They are foolishly hoping to avoid choosing any side_ _._

 _As your letter was filled with kind reminisces, here are some of my own ~ I remember how the house smelled of vanilla and cinnamon and steak. Do you know that even your fur smelt of vanilla that night back in February?_ _That is the most difficult part of being at the house. Even those scents of you have faded away to nothing._ _I remember how seeing you fight both impressed and terrified me._ _I remember how absolutely content I felt watching you just be you. I felt both lucky and a bizarre sense of pride that I was the one who saw you at your most vulnerable. You in your pajamas making breakfast, with your wand skewered in your hair, was both alluring and comforting. I still feel not giving in was the right thing to do, but when you kissed me on my birthday I wanted nothing more than to drown in you._ _I remember the last thing you said to me before you left, and I wonder sometimes if you also said it that night I can't remember._ _I'm glad you feel safe, although I don't fully trust you being surrounded by werewolves. And I'm glad you're away from all this mess. If we are successful, I will be content knowing this fight won't make it to you._

 _I think often of the song that was playing when we danced – the first time, the dance we didn't finish – "Long ago and far away, I dreamed a dream one day. And now that dream is here beside me. Long the skies were overcast, but now the clouds have passed. You're here at last. Just one look, and then I knew, that all I'd longed for, long ago, was you." I don't suppose I will send this letter either._

 _I wish things could have been different for us._

 _R~_

As she read the words he felt but couldn't say, Artemis' eyes filled with tears. It had been months – months without seeing him or hearing him, months since he had essentially been lost to her, but she ached for him as much as she had her first days here. The only thing that kept her from breaking down completely was the thought that Lina's plan was in motion, and they were scheduled to be moved to London at the New Year. She pressed her hand against the kick from her rounded belly. "It's all right, little one," she whispered. "He does love me. And he'll love you too."

* * *

It was just before dawn when Sirius entered the kitchen and saw Lina frowning at a cold cup of coffee.

"Morning, Vixen," he said cheerfully, pulling out the tea things and filling the kettle. "That's quite a frown you're wearing. Have you finally realized how vile your choice of morning beverage is?"

Lina turned and faced him, straightening her shoulders a little. "I want to apologize."

"For what?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at her and spilling some of the tea leaves across the countertop.

"Using your feelings for me against you when I wanted your help."

Sirius nodded as the tea kettle whistled and he prepared his cup before taking a seat across the table from her. It was to her credit that she didn't shy away from meeting his gaze. "You could have just said, 'Put down the whiskey, Black, I need you to focus,'" he said calmly.

"Well, I don't have much experience with normal relationships. My family are all Muggles and they thought I was off the rails before I got my Hogwarts letter. Artemis is my only friend and I earn my living lying to people, using them, or fighting them. The only thing I know about men is how to manipulate them…which is what I did to you, and…I'm sorry."

His eyes were kind, but he was being unnaturally quiet as he sipped his tea. "What made you think you even needed to manipulate me to help Artemis?" he finally asked.

Shying away from his eyes, Lina began to swirl the coffee around the cup until it reached the rim and threatened to spill over the top. "You…unnerve me, and I wanted to remind myself that I was in control…that I could control you if I needed to," she whispered.

"Was any part of what you said even close to the truth?"

Lina began nervously tapping the edge of her coffee cup, "It's true that I appreciate your optimism. I'm not sure how I really feel about all the pursuing. Nobody's treated me that way before."

"Do you want me to stop?"

The coffee cup tumbled over, dark liquid pooling across the table top. "I don't know," she answered in a small voice.

Sirius sipped his tea again, ignoring the spilled coffee and the vaguely answered question. "You and Kitten are rather like two sides of a coin, aren't you? Opposites?"

"I suppose," she said unhappily. _Here it comes. I have once again been weighed on the scales and found wanting._

"I mean, she's essentially a housewife pretending to be a mercenary. And you are a mercenary pretending to be everything else."

A cold lump settled in the pit of her stomach. "Well, I am a Slytherin aren't I?" she responded dully.

Sirius cleared his throat. "I can admit that house stereotypes have informed a great many of my opinions. In my experience they so often proved true, you see. And while you may be cunning and even occasionally dishonest, I also know at your core that you are good and kind."

Looking up in surprise, Lina searched his face. There was no trace of sarcasm or teasing, just a little sadness and something she couldn't quite define. "Why do you think that, after what I did?"

"Because when I met you, your first thought was to give a starving, mangy-looking cur food and water. You took the time to try and distract me when I felt bad about having to give up Buckbeak. And then you cleaned your brother's car the way he wanted, even though it was more work."

The cold lump in her stomach began to slowly dissolve, and to her horror, Lina felt a pricking at her eyes as Sirius continued his gentle monologue. "You came here the moment Artemis asked you to, and just as quickly went to America to find her even though it was dangerous. You may not see yourself as optimistic, but you acted on the faith you had in your friend, which amounts to the same thing. What you did to me, you did out of fear, and I can forgive that. The question is, can you be honest with me from here on out?"

"Yes," she answered immediately. She met his eyes again as she felt the traitorous tears gather and slowly make their way down her cheeks.

"Then do you want me to stop pursuing you?"

Lina clenched her trembling hands together under the table. "No," she said firmly, trying to stop the tears. "But… you could, maybe, tone it down a little? It's just that you have rather a flair for the dramatic," she hastened to add, "and I have a difficult time judging whether or not you're serious."

"Oh, my dear Evangeline…I'm always Sirius."

* * *

"You should eat something before you go," came a quiet voice off to his left. Remus jerked his head up away from the campfire.

"Sorry?"

"You aren't looking at all well. You should eat something before you go."

Remus stiffened and tried to maintain a blank expression as the young, red-headed girl sat beside him, holding out a plate of food. He'd only seen her from a distance before, the quiet, youngest mate of the pack's Alpha. "Your name is Deirdre, isn't it?" he asked, accepting the plate and trying to avoid her comment about him leaving. He hadn't thought anyone had ever noticed him disapparating just before each full moon.

The girl nodded. "I figured you go back to report in to whoever you're working for. I mean, not You-Know-Who, obviously, since you keep talking about how we're all going to be worse off if he wins, but whoever the other side is."

Remus shook his head. "I'm afraid you're mistaken. I just got back from work."

Deirdre sighed. "Whatever. I know it must be stressful worrying about people on your side, and thinking there might be a war. Although Circe thinks you look so sick because you need a mate." She stood up to leave and added, "Look, I haven't said anything…about you leaving, I mean. I think what you're doing is a good thing." She moved away from the fire, back towards her own tent.

"Wait," he called after her. She paused and half turned towards him. "I'd like to explain…"

As she'd returned to the seat beside him, Remus tapped his foot nervously before speaking. "I'm trying to recruit… or at least convince other werewolves not to follow Voldemort."

"I know," Deirdre nodded. "I don't think you have to worry. Alec isn't interested in promises – yours or You-Know-Who's. He won't join either side. He just wants to live in peace and be left alone."

"Peace?" huffed Remus incredulously. "There's nothing peaceful about living in a pack."

Deirdre shrugged. "It depends on where you come from, I guess. For some people, this is better than what they left behind."

"Is that true for you?" he asked frowning. This girl couldn't be much older than Harry.

She smiled and shook her head. "Nah, I was all right before. It was just me and my mum. She works as a waitress in a wizarding pub in Manchester. I'm a squib, so I didn't really have a lot of options after I got bit – hard to explain to Muggles, you know? I overheard somebody mention this pack, so I lit out and came here." She frowned suddenly and scuffed her toe in the dirt. "I know what you think about Alec, but he's really not that bad. He hasn't really… done what you think he's done to me. I mean, he claimed me when I got here to keep me safe. Some of the other men…wouldn't have been that nice. Circe's his real mate. Alec's been more like a dad. And I know it can be violent, but how else is he going to stay the Alpha? I'd hate to think what might happen if one of the others took over." She gave a slight shudder at the last thought.

"Would…would you like to come with me?" Remus asked before he quite realized the words were out of his mouth. "I have a safer place you could spend the night, and then come back in the morning."

The girl looked a little surprised, and then amused as she shook her head. "Nah. That's a sweet thought, but even though Alec may not realize you're missing, he definitely will know if I am. Thanks, though. Alec said you turned in a good paycheck this week. You don't have to give us all of it; I know you're not really joining our pack forever. And you clearly look like you could use the money yourself. You're a kind man, Mr. Lupin, and I know it's been stressful for you, what you're trying to do here."

"I just wish…I could get him to see reason," said Remus with a hint of despair in his voice. "Staying neutral won't be an option in the end."

"Well, you can't know that for certain," said Deirdre philosophically. "Look at Switzerland."

"Neutrality only works if all the parties agree to leave you alone," responded Remus, staring into the crackling fire. "And I can promise you that Voldemort won't do that. His only options are follow or die."

He jumped slightly when he felt her hand on his shoulder. "I can try to talk with Alec and Circe. This is Christmas time after all, the season of hope. Don't lose hope yet, Mr. Lupin." Remus watched her walk away, her red hair swinging against her back that reminded him in a gut-wrenching way of Lily. It was hard to not wonder if the ones who remained the most hopeful were the ones destined to suffer the most.

* * *

** Thanks so much for reading, and if you review or follow, thanks for that too! :) Guest, My plan is to have the werewolves go out on missions with the Order during the year that Harry is hunting horcruxes, intermingled with fluff for all these couples I've created. So many OCs, I really don't know quite what I was thinking. lol. Plus, we've diverged enough from canon that I'm still working out how the horcrux thing is going to really play out.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34 ~ December, 1996

That Christmas Eve in London found Sirius and Lina once again in the hallway outside of Remus' room in Grimmauld Place. Sirius and Lina had decided to overrule Remus' insistence at not listening to the radio, and set it up outside the door after he transformed. Artemis tried to keep up a steady one-sided conversation, throwing in some singing and reading aloud. Snape had doubled the dose of Wolfsbane Potion, and the whimpering werewolf had at last succumbed to the heavy mixture of herbs, stumbling around the room breathing shallowly and only occasionally throwing himself at the door while howling despondently. When the radio lost contact Sirius took over talking to Remus through the door. Lina sat beside him leaning against the wall, tentatively letting her head rest on his shoulder as his rough voice lulled her to sleep.

It was a far merrier group that gathered on the other side of the Atlantic later that evening. MCUSA was not inclined to allow extraneous orders or purchases merely because of the holidays, so no gifts were ever exchanged. Oscar instead, spread gift orders out over the year, and then each person was spoiled on their birthday. The week of Christmas, there were competitions – teams for building and decorating gingerbread houses, two-man teams had a snow ball fight championship with brackets and wagers taken, and an hours-long poker tournament that ended with Xander and Alma facing off. She finally bluffed her way into winning the pot, a massive candy stash that she divided up between everyone, insisting her true winnings were taking an ex-con down a peg. After an enormous dinner, they sang Christmas carols, and then turned the dining hall into a slumber party. The table and chairs were all transfigured into cushions, pillows and blankets, and the group of strangers turned family settled down to await their own transformations. Artemis and Ellie were included, and the two planned to take turns reading _A Christmas Carol_ out loud to the werewolves.

"So before we change, we wanted to present one gift to Oscar and Rosa," Gareth announced, holding out several sheets of parchment.

The teenagers were all smiling and nodding, while the adults exchanged puzzled glances. "What do you mean, _Queridos_?" asked Rosa.

"We have each legally changed our last names to Rodriguez," answered Catherine. "So when we move to England, we will be there as an official family."

Oscar and Rosa looked shocked. "Are you certain? I thought perhaps you might want to seek out your birth families, once we were in England," said Oscar slowly. "You would have the opportunity to see where you come from."

"We know where we come from," added Isabel grimly. "We don't want any part of families that treat their children the way we were treated, especially if they're willing to do it again, like with Finn…no offense Ellie."

"I'm not offended, love. I agree with you," said Ellie, smiling.

"They didn't want us," said Daisy quietly, a solemn expression on her typically care-free face. "You didn't have to treat us like your own children, but you did. So we wanted to officially be part of your family."

Oscar swallowed hard, and Rosa's gentle brown eyes glittered with tears. " _Por supuesto_ ," whispered Oscar. "You are already our sons and daughters. We would be proud to give you our name."

Daisy jumped up from her place and ran to throw her arms around the pair. The other children rose as well and Oscar hurriedly wiped away his tears as he stood to embrace each of them, before they smothered Rosa in a huge group hug.

"How did you even accomplish this?" asked Oscar. "I have overseen every communication with MCUSA."

"Well, not every one," said Alma with a rare smile. "My name can still open some doors as well."

A hush settled over them as the moon rose and the group transformed. Suddenly Artemis clutched her abdomen, her eyes wide. Ellie was at her side instantly. "Do you feel any pain? Tell me what you're experiencing."

"No, it's not pain. It just felt…strange. Like everything was pulled inside out." She took a panicked look around the room at the werewolves watching her. "Oh Merlin, she's infected isn't she? She's a werewolf. It happened at the same time you all changed. She was transforming too wasn't she?"

Ellie grabbed her head and shoved it down between her knees. "Breathe," she said firmly. "Hyperventilating certainly won't help anything." As Artemis tried to take slower breaths, Ellie's wand moved methodically over her body, monitoring her vital signs and checking for any internal bleeding. "Everything is fine," she said reassuringly. You and the baby are both doing well."

Artemis raised her head and looked at Ellie, trembling and eyes fearful. "If she…if anything happens to me, you'll take care of her won't you? There's only six weeks left. She can make it, right?"

"You will both be just fine," said Ellie sternly. "There is a risk that you may be bitten or scratched accidentally while she's transformed, but that hasn't happened yet, so I think the risk is minimal. After tonight there's only one more full moon before your due date. I truly believe everything will be fine."

"So she's been transforming for months now? This is just the first time I've felt it?"

"I believe so, yes."

Artemis looked over the room full of werewolves, all watching her with concern. "You changed her didn't you?" she asked, finally locking eyes on the grey and black wolf that was Grams. "Whatever this is that makes you safe – you did that to my baby?"

The werewolf nodded solemnly, and Artemis turned to Ellie. "How?"

Finn wandered over to his mother, and she scooped him into her lap, stroking his little ears. He snuggled into her lap and yawned, eyes drifting closed as Ellie continued petting him. "Grams is a Seer," she said. "She could see from the beginning that your baby was a werewolf, and so she asked for her purification."

Artemis, clothed in an enlarged blue sweater with an A on the front, sat back in her chair and placed her arms protectively around her swollen belly, the movement inside having returned to the typical thrusts and kicks she was used to. "So…there's a werewolf inside," she said almost to herself. "That's…really weird."

* * *

A blur of red jumper and black hair flew out the door of the Burrow and skidded to a stop in front of the three people making their way across the yard. "Sirius!" Harry said happily. Sirius grabbed the boy in a fierce hug.

"Happy Christmas, Harry," said Sirius, sounding a little choked up. "Sorry we couldn't come last night."

"Celestina Warbeck's Christmas Broadcast? You didn't miss much, although Fleur's imitation of her was pretty funny. Mrs. Weasley didn't think so, though. Happy Christmas, Remus," he added, nodding to him, "and, uh…" He hesitated at the blonde with them.

"Hiya," she said, giving her own nod. "I'm Lina. Nice jumper."

Harry grinned down at the large snitch knitted across his chest. "Mrs. Weasley makes them for us each year."

"I'm sorry we missed Molly's dinner," said Remus. "I had a bit of a rough start this morning."

Harry looked toward the house and back at Remus with a sheepish expression. "Not sure you missed much there either. Percy showed up with the Minister of Magic."

"Scrimgeour came here on Christmas Day?" asked Sirius in astonishment.

"Yeah. He said Percy wanted to stop in and see the family. But really he was trying to get me to work for the Ministry and give him information on Dumbledore. Kept going on about it giving people hope to see The Chosen One supporting what the Ministry's doing… like I'm some kind of mascot. And what is the Ministry actually doing?" Harry went on, his voice rising. "Fudge had his head in the sand while people were getting murdered and now Scrimgeour is locking up innocent people in Azkaban – just like you were! Because it's better for the people to think they're doing something, even if what they're doing is all wrong!"

"Told him off, did you?" asked Sirius softly, smiling at him.

"Yeah, a bit. Then Percy stormed out of the house after he got splattered with mashed parsnips."

"What did the Minister want to know about Dumbledore?" asked Remus.

"Where he goes when he leaves Hogwarts. But I don't know that," said Harry with a shrug. "I've only met with him twice this year, and it was to learn about Voldemort – not really anything dramatic other than Dumbledore seems interested in some different artifacts from his past. Anyway…come inside. Mrs. Weasley's kept some dinner back for you."

After enjoying the delicious leftovers, Remus and Sirius took their cups of tea to the chairs in front of the fireplace, while Lina curled up on the couch and promptly fell asleep. The old friends sat in silence, Remus staring into the dancing flames as Sirius stared at the sleeping girl.

"Umm, Sirius?" asked Harry softly, sitting on the floor between his and Remus' chairs. "I overheard something strange between Malfoy and Snape at Slughorn's Christmas party."

Sirius didn't respond, and Remus kicked his ankle. "Huh? What was that, Harry?" he asked, pulling his gaze away from the sofa.

"At Professor Slughorn's Christmas Party I overheard Malfoy and Snape arguing. Malfoy said Voldemort had given him a job to do, and Snape was trying to get Malfoy to let him help. Said he'd made an Unbreakable Vow to protect him."

Sirius raised his eyebrows at that. "That was foolish…Unless Snivelly's pretty sure this job is simple."

"I know what you're thinking, Harry, and I'm sure Professor Snape was offering to help so he could find out what Malfoy's up to," interjected Remus. "Dumbledore will take care of it. I've told you this before. If Dumbledore trusts him, then we should as well."

Sirius shifted in his chair. "Dumbledore can make mistakes," he muttered almost under his breath.

Harry glanced at him. "Exactly. He even said so himself. Besides," he added turning back to Remus, "do you honestly like Snape?"

Remus shrugged. "I find I can neither like nor dislike Severus. No – it's true," he added as Sirius rolled his eyes. "There's clearly too much past bitterness for us to ever be friends, but he has continued to prepare the Wolfsbane Potion each month, and provided the potions Sirius needed when he was injured at the Ministry."

"He only does it 'cause he's forced to," grumbled Harry. "If he'd had his way Sirius would be dead, and you'd be in Azkaban for helping him!"

After making a murmur of agreement, and receiving a second kick from Remus, Sirius rubbed his forehead tiredly. "Listen, Harry. Snape's a disappointed, bitter man. When you get back to school, tell Dumbledore everything you've told us, and we'll let him handle it, all right? It may have been on his orders that Snape was questioning Malfoy." He leaned forward and ruffled Harry's hair affectionately. "Moony's right. Life's too short to hate anybody that determinedly. Don't let his attitudes embitter you."

"How are you able to let go of the past and he can't?" asked Harry, a little frustrated. "He continually takes his anger against my dad out on me! Why can't grownups just act like grownups?"

Remus huffed out a small laugh. "Now you sound like your mum."

Sirius smiled. "Snape's rivalry with your dad was…unique. More than being in different houses, or even Snape joining the Death Eaters, the one thing that really ensured they hated each other was…Lily. They both wanted her, James won her in the end, and Snape could truly never get past that."

"Snape was in love with my mum?" asked Harry with a disgusted expression that made Sirius laugh.

"I don't know that I would call it love, but they were friends of a sort, and he was rather obsessed with her for a while."

"But he…he called her a Mudblood," said Harry slowly. "I saw it, in one of his memories."

"Don't you see, Harry?" said Remus softly. "He hates himself for losing her as much as he hates your dad for winning her. I don't want to excuse how he behaves. He is a bully and a bitter, vindictive man. But if you and Sirius can leave behind the childhoods you had, and I can do something with the part of my life that isn't lost to my disease, then perhaps Severus can change too. And maybe Dumbledore sees something in him that the rest of us don't yet."

Harry was saved from having to respond to that by Ron calling him for a pick up Quidditch game with Bill, Ginny and the twins. As the door slammed, Lina stretched from her place on the sofa and smiled at the pair by the fireplace. "Nicely done, dads. You listened, diffused the frustration, and offered sound advice. Very adult of you."

"I still think he's a tosser," muttered Sirius.

Remus let out a hoarse chuckle. "I don't think I told you about my lesson on boggarts. Frank and Alice's boy is terrified of Severus. The man really is horrid to his students, so Neville was certain Snape would be his boggart."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him to imagine Augusta's clothes," Remus said, laughing roughly again. "So Snape rises out of this trunk and then the next minute he's wearing her frilly cloak…"

"And the hat?" asked Sirius through his own laughter.

"Hideous vulture and all!"

"Oh, Merlin, that's ace!" laughed Sirius. "Nice one, Moony."

"Yeah, I'm kind of surprised he didn't tamper with my potion on purpose that month."

Lina shook her head. "Right, I take back what I said."

Sirius shook his head. "Oh come on, Remus is adult enough for three people. But uh, don't ever lose a bet to him…" he added, with a shudder.

Remus shot her an uncharacteristically smug grin. "Remind me sometime to tell you about the Breakfast Burlesque Show of 1975."

* * *

** Thanks for reading! Guest, your comment of "But it's Remus, so..." is dead on. He thought he was doing the right thing, and so the letter is him just getting it all out, but never planning to send it. I always wondered what Sirius might really be like if he had survived. We are given just a tiny glimpse of his character, and he never really has time to change or develop. So I threw in a house that isn't so grim, some art therapy, and people that need him... and kind of pushed him to get his act together faster because Remus' storyline was going to have so much drama. And like real adults, sometimes we can be be the grownups that we need to be, and sometimes we're totally faking it. ;) And poor Lina just isn't quite sure how to take him. He's dramatic and over the top about everything, but absolutely sincere, which she isn't used to. I think if she hadn't met him at his lowest, neediest moment, and seen that he was still the same person she wouldn't be open to believing him at all. Love your thoughts, thanks!


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35 ~ January, 1997

The hint of a whistle and the thud of the axe head provided a steady background noise to the group of young people talking beside the snowy river bank. Jane had sent them out bundled up with a winter picnic; a basket full of sandwiches, soup, and hot chocolate. They'd built a small campfire and Joshua was attempting to catch some fish, but the conversation and laughter kept most of any potential catch away.

"What do you want to do first when we get to London?" asked Isabel twisting a lock of her hair around her finger. "I think I'd like to go to a concert, or maybe a movie."

"Just walk through the city all by myself," said Gareth decidedly. "No one knowing where I am or who I am or what I am."

"I want to get my own wand – use magic whenever I want," said Joshua, halfheartedly bobbing his fishing pole in the slow moving water.

"We're going to have to train to fight," offered Daisy softly. "More than just the stuff we know so far…fight for real."

Catherine frowned. "Do you think it will be like hunting?"

Joshua shook his head. "Deer don't really fight back. These people will."

Catherine wrapped her arms around her legs. "I don't want to think about having to take down people."

"But these are horrible people," said Isabel, scowling at the water. "People who don't care about killing children or turning them into killers."

"Do you think they'll keep us together, or divvy us up?" asked Daisy, pulling her coat tighter around her body and shifting a little closer to Joshua.

"We're all of age," said Catherine sternly. "They can't make us do anything we don't want to do."

"Hey you know, if we're going to be a fighting unit, we should have a name…a really cool one," said Gareth.

"Yeah! like…Wolves of War!" added Joshua.

Xavier, half listening from the woodpile nearby, shook his head and smiled, as his axe came down a final time. He walked over to the group and took a seat on the river bank, downing the rest of his water bottle. He hitched up his sleeve and showed them one of the tattoos on his right arm. "Y'all know what this is, right?"

"Sure, it's Captain America's shield," answered Gareth.

"It was your favorite comic book when you were a kid," added Catherine, "and you always wanted to be Dum Dum Dugan…it was why you joined the military."

Xavier darted a surprised glance at Catherine and nodded. "And what was Cap's team called during the war?"

"Howling Commandos," Daisy said in a hushed, reverent voice. Joshua and Isabel grinned at each other.

"I like it," Catherine nodded thoughtfully.

Gareth laughed. "Well, I do enjoy a good inside joke."

"That's a good band name too!" said Isabel eagerly.

"It will remind all those Brits who we are and where we come from," added Joshua.

"Yeah – Werewolves from Middle of Nowhere, USA," giggled Daisy.

"Apparently you are a bit of a romantic," Catherine remarked softly to Xavier, hoping she wasn't blushing.

Xavier's heart rate spiked and he cleared his throat a little uncomfortably. "I, uh…I think I've seen a little too much of life to be a romantic, Cat." he asked in a gruff voice.

Catherine felt her stomach flip at the way he said her name. "But you still believe in choosing to do the right thing…truth, justice and the American Way and all that stuff, even when your experiences with this country and the magical world and the government could have made you cynical."

"Well, truth, justice and the American Way is from Superman, actually," Xavier said, smiling a little. "Although Captain America once said he was loyal to nothing except the dream…the dream of what this country could be…so maybe you're right," he shrugged, his smile turning a little shy as he shouldered the axe and turned to leave.

"Do you think…do you think maybe I could partner with you when we dance tonight," Catherine spoke in a quiet rush.

Xavier shook his head, avoiding her eyes. "I'm not dancing tonight."

"Oh…ok, well, we'll see you later then."

With a nod, he walked back to the woodpile, bringing the axe head down on the next piece with a little more force than was absolutely necessary.

"What was that?" Gareth asked quietly, coming up behind her.

"Nothing," Catherine answered quickly. She turned away from watching Xavier and began swiftly walking back towards the houses.

"Didn't look like nothing, Cat," said Gareth, easily keeping pace with her. "If you want input in Papá's decision, then you need to talk to him. But stirring up stuff isn't good for anybody."

"I'm actually trying to do the opposite of stir stuff up, Gareth," she responded stiffly. "I don't want to cause a scene if he isn't interested. I was just trying to…gauge his interest."

"Cat, we don't get the luxury of behaving like the songs we sing…all those passionate feelings put on display. These decisions affect all of us…the whole dynamic of the town. You can't play around with people's emotions. That was why I told Papá a year ago that when the time came I didn't want to be considered for Daisy."

Catherine's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why wouldn't you want Daisy? What's wrong with her?"

Gareth laughed, then shook his head. "Nothing's wrong with her, goose. She's by far the easiest to manage of the three of you. But I knew Joshua was in love her."

Catherine's brown eyes widened. "What? Like in love, love? Really?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?"

"It's just…well us girls were talking the day Papá told me it was time to decide, and we were just saying we weren't sure if it would be better to be in love with one of you or not. Daisy said, what if you didn't get the one you were in love with? I mean, what if he loves her, but she's in love with you?"

Gareth laughed again. "Wow – I didn't expect to be the most observant one out of the group. They love each other, they're just too shy to push the issue. Haven't you seen how they interact? Like…like magnets, one always moving in response to the other, just not quite close enough to…connect."

"Huh…well, so what about Isabel?"

Gareth stopped and leaned against a tree. Catherine turned back to him, questioningly. "Izzy needs somebody who'll support her, but keep her grounded. I can do that," he said seriously.

"But you're not in love with her…"

"Come on, Cat. We should have figured that'd be a long shot. I can take care of her. That'll have to be enough."

"And what about me?" she whispered.

Gareth raised his eyebrows. "Catherine, you above all are the most capable of having a successful match with just about anyone. I would think you could take your pick. I'm sure Papá will think Hezekiah is the logical choice in both temperament and age." A sly grin crossed his face and his eyes twinkled mischievously. "But if you find that you absolutely can't live without me, then I will try to let Izzy down gently."

Catherine rolled her eyes and fiddled with the edge of her coat, trying to decide what to say. Papá trusted Gareth's judgement above the rest of them. If she could get him to agree with her maybe Papá would too. "I was thinking," she began slowly.

"Spit it out," he said, furrowing his brow and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Are the arranged marriages even necessary if we move off the reservation?"

Gareth was silent for a long moment, looking off at the sky. "All right," he said, and nodded. "You bring this up after we move, and I'll back you up. But in the meantime, no flirting or trying to gauge how men feel about you. That's just a lot of unnecessary drama right now."

"Deal," she grinned, holding her hand out.

Gareth shook it and then reached over and ruffled her hair. "Sisters are sure a lot of trouble."

"Maybe, but we keep things interesting!" said Catherine, as she shoved him into the small snow drift at the base of the tree, and took off running.

* * *

In spite of her nerves regarding leaving home and the possibility of fighting in a war, the new year still felt ripe with possibility. January seemed to have a way of doing that, Daisy mused as she curled up in a corner of Gram's sofa in her little house. A new page turned, with no mistakes in it. Well, no mistakes yet anyway, she amended, wondering if Grams was about to make the first big one. "Are you sure it should be me?" Daisy asked for at least the third time, cradling her cup of hot chocolate. "I mean, Izzy's smarter and Cat's more responsible."

"That's enough of that," said Grams sternly. "You are enough. And you were chosen because you have something they don't…a greater empathy. Every decision you make takes other people into account. You were the first to see what might be possible if our gift is carried to England, so it is right that you are to be the next Seer."

"But what if I can't do it? Sometimes I can't think of the right thing to say, and I'm going to have to be the one explaining everything to people."

"Honey, you won't have to worry about that. In the end it's not about you anyway. You're just a vessel that carries the anointing. The warriors will help you know what to say and do at the right time."

"Ok, then I'm ready," Daisy said, setting her cup down, her knee bouncing a little agitatedly. "Let's do it."

Grams chuckled. Her old brown eyes were kind, but fierce. In this moment Lois Evans wasn't the sweet grandmother that Daisy had known most of her life. Even sitting her on her old couch in her little house she was the priestess, the prophetess, and Daisy knew this moment was something that would change her forever.

A pair of wrinkled hands covered her eyes, and the soft southern voice began to pray. "Creator, let this daughter see with her own eyes your spiritual realm. Use her to unveil truth to the blind." Daisy felt a coolness wash over her eyes, behind her closed lids. Her lashes fluttered underneath Grams' warm hands. The hands then moved to cover her heart. "We know your sons and daughters of the moon are in need of rescue. I impart to this child everything you have made known to me. May your words and visions of prophecy come to her as they did to me. She is surrendered to serve the Creator and the children; surrendered to fight with the warriors and help keep the enemies at bay."

She was expecting a sensation, warm or cool, maybe a tingling or buzzing, but Daisy wasn't expecting the ferocious emotion welling up in her chest. It took her a moment to even label it. She felt angry and protective and fierce and compassionate all at once. Tears flooded out from under her closed eyes as the powerful feelings overwhelmed her, and if she'd been transformed she was certain a howl or snarling roar would have left her throat. As she opened her eyes she blinked in amazement at a huge, dark werewolf standing before her; its thick fur a little curly and unruly, like her own. The werewolf nodded at her, then inclined its head to the left. On the other side of the room was a second wolf, black and grey, wise and ancient looking.

"Do you see 'em?" Gram's voice broke through her mesmerized silence.

"Ye…yes," Daisy said, quickly brushing the tears from her eyes and sitting up straighter.

"They are our warriors, to help us when they can and to communicate to you what you will need to know. You will be the only one to see them most of the time. Now come. We will walk about outside and you can see the others."

As they walked across the yard, snow crunching underfoot, enormous werewolves began to join them, one after the other, each in some way reflecting their human counterpart. They formed almost a strange kind of receiving line, each nodding solemnly to the two women as they passed by. Daisy paused suddenly as she caught sight of two other figures. They weren't wolves, but something like what she'd imagined a valkyrie would look like, fierce and silvery. "Are those the enemies?" she whispered, grabbing Grams' hand.

"Mercy, no child," answered Grams, shaking her head. "The enemies don't usually dare approach our borders. Those are the warriors for Ellie and Artemis. They aren't werewolves, so theirs look different. You'll know the enemies when you see them – they embody the darkness."


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36 ~ January, 1997

The last week on the reservation was a flurry of packing and 'let's do this one last time' and too many late nights listening to shared memories and stories. Kieran and Oscar met over and over again with Marcus and Alma to ensure they knew how to handle day to day operations, until Alma finally yelled at them that she was not an idiot and they needed to lay off. The younger residents were wrapping up a last minute recording session at Oscar and Rosa's bungalow. Rosa had suggested it as a present for the four staying behind, so any spare minute they had found the little band crammed into the little house while Hezekiah recorded them on phonograph records.

Joshua twirled the drumsticks around in his hand, almost dropping them as Daisy came up beside him suddenly. "Can I walk with you over to lunch?" she asked softly. "I needed to talk to you about something."

"Sure," he replied, hoping he didn't sound too eager. The two grabbed their coats and began the frigid, albeit short, walk across the yard to the dining hall. Joshua wondered briefly if he might be brave enough to try and hold her hand, but she'd shoved them deep into her pockets.

They were almost to the building, and neither had spoken, when Daisy stopped suddenly and grabbed his arm. "Let's walk down to the river," she said, tugging him in the opposite direction. The sun was almost glaring as it reflected off the snow, the only sound was the muted rushing of the cold river, half frozen along the banks. Daisy still hadn't spoken and Joshua started to worry that she was trying to think of a way to tell him she didn't agree with their betrothal. When they reached the place where they'd had their winter picnic the month before, the stone circle of the old fire obscured by snow, she finally stopped and sat on an old tree stump.

"What did you want to talk about?" Joshua asked, kicking at one of the stones.

"I'm a Seer," she said, looking up at him.

"Do you mean like Grams is?" he asked, leaning against a tree and ducking his head to try and see her eyes.

"Yeah. She said we needed one since she wasn't going with us."

Joshua nodded. "Well, that makes sense. You sound a little worried, though. Do you not want to be the Seer?"

"No, I do. I was just worried you might not…want me to…want that for… I thought you should know first," she finally said. "In case it changes things."

"Oh," he said, trying to follow her train of thought. "No, it doesn't change anything," he finished softly.

"I can see our wolves all the time," she whispered. "Sometimes they tell me things that I'll need to know for later, or just to explain things more. I know it's important, but it's been a little…hard to get used to."

Her small, uncertain voice awakened all sorts of protective and tender feelings in his chest, and Joshua impulsively grabbed her hand and pulled her to standing, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her close. "It doesn't change anything," he repeated, relishing the way her smaller body fit against his. "I agreed to marry you and take care of you and I will do that no matter what. If you want me to carry paper and pen around to take notes on what they tell you, I can do that. If you want me to tell them to be quiet and leave you alone for a little while, I can do that too." Daisy giggled against his chest, and Joshua smiled.

"Thanks," she said, pulling away from him. "I'd hoped…that is, I'm glad it was you that Papá chose," she finished, a blush darkening her freckled cheeks.

Joshua felt himself grow quite warm in spite of the cold air. "We should probably get back," he said reluctantly, looking towards the group of buildings. Daisy nodded and they silently fell into step together. "Can I hold your hand?" he asked her abruptly, resisting the urge to tug at his collar that suddenly felt too tight. She nodded again and held out her hand expectantly. As he intertwined his fingers with hers, he let out a contented sigh, and immediately turned bright red when she looked up at him. They continued walking in silence, and as he snuck a glance down at her, he was delighted to find that lovely rosy blush highlighting her own cheeks again.

* * *

Delicious smells wafted up from the bags Lina dumped on to the counter. She shivered slightly as she pulled off her coat and adjusted to the warm temperature of the kitchen. "D-Day is fast approaching," she said, smiling as Sirius moved to help pull the food from the plastic bags. Her smiles seemed to come a little easier these days, or maybe she was trying harder, she couldn't really tell. "Have you heard yet if Remus is planning to be here?"

"I'm not actually certain if Remus knows the plan," sighed Sirius, grabbing plates and flatware from the the cupboards.

"What do you mean you don't know if he knows the plan?" Lina asked in confusion, as Sirius set the dinner plates down and slid into his own seat across the table. "Why didn't you talk to him over Christmas?"

"Kingsley and I decided not to tell him until we had an arrival date; to stop him from panicking ahead of time," said Sirius, throwing his hands up in frustration. "When the Americans decided on the twenty-eighth, I sent owls, but I haven't heard anything from him in weeks. Every time anyone from the Order stopped by the bookstore he wasn't working."

"Well…great," said Lina, rolling her eyes as she dished out the Chinese takeaway. "We'll just have to tell him on Thursday when he's here for the full moon…you know…when he's the most emotionally unstable."

"I'm sure it will be fine," said Sirius, laying his napkin in his lap and spearing a spring roll. "He'll be thrilled that Artemis is coming home."

Lina stared at him in disbelief. "Coming home pregnant with his child and bringing extra werewolves with her."

Sirius scowled and took a large bite of the spring roll, freezing suddenly with the fork halfway back to the plate. "Vaphs duh pwof fuh phee!" he choked out over his mouthful of food. He dropped the fork and grabbed for a glass of water, downing half of it. "That's the prophecy," he whispered, still gripping his glass and staring at Lina with wide eyes.

"What are you talking about? What prophecy?"

"Those Gypsies we met – the mother said she was a Seer and gave him some prophecy about a woman with black hair releasing the wolves. He told me later she was talking about it like it was a family. That's partially why he tried so hard not to fall for Artemis. She shows up with black hair and no issues with werewolves. It terrified him thinking about the possibility of werewolf children."

"Which is now more probability than possibility," said Lina looking unexpectedly worried.

The door slammed above them, and Kingsley's voice could be heard calling from the front hall.

"Down here!" Sirius shouted back up the stairs. "Spring roll?" he offered Kingsley glumly as he entered the room, gesturing toward the table.

"No, thank you," said Kingsley looking at him strangely. "I just came to tell you the Americans have moved up the date of transfer."

"To when?"

"Thursday."

"Well that's just bloody fantastic," grumbled Lina, shoving a dumpling in her mouth.

* * *

Artemis hummed to herself as she sorted through the last of the clothes to be packed. It took her several phrases to realize she was humming the song Remus had referred to in his last letter. "…Just one look, and then I knew that all I'd longed for long ago, was you," she finished happily, smoothing out a wrinkle in a soft pink baby blanket. "Just a few more days, little one," she hummed, patting her belly soothingly in response to a sharp thrust. The women on the reservation had really outdone themselves preparing a layette. A decent pile of clothing, diapers and blankets were all packed and ready to go; the fabrics pulled from extra clothing, sheets and blankets when Oscar had only been able to order a few new bolts of fabric.

Out of nowhere, a sick and scared feeling threatened to engulf her, and she sank heavily down on the bed. How could she have been so stupid?! Had she really forgotten that Remus didn't know about the baby? "This is what happens when avoidance masquerades as optimism," she could hear Apollo say in her head. It was something he had frequently accused her of doing, only seeing what she wanted to see in a situation. And Artemis had to admit this might be the mother of all examples. She knew…she knew how Remus felt about the possibility of a child being infected with lycanthropy, and here she'd been acting like everything was going to be fine. What an utter fool she was! Just because she thought this prayer, or whatever it was, lessened the devastation of the disease didn't mean that he would see it that way. Their daughter still had no say in the matter, was still harnessed to the power of the full moon, was still a potentially deadly creature.

"Lina says she doesn't think he'll hate me," Artemis whispered into the silence. "But she doesn't know how love can be poisoned by grief. She's never been absolutely devastated or heartbroken because of the decisions of someone she loves." She sighed, the memories of her past grief washing over her. Poison. Love may not be irreparably damaged, but there was still damage. She'd seen it in her relationships with her brothers and parents after the death of her sister. There had been mercy, given the circumstances; there had been forgiveness. But the shadow of grief and anger still hovered over all of them. And they were a family - having had years to build strong relationships. How much harder would it be to overcome this grief, with a man she'd barely known a year and hadn't seen in months?

A flash of silver caught the corner of her eye, and she turned to the window. It was a beautiful scene as a large, bright waxing moon shone down on the snow-covered yard. Artemis squinted out into the night, her face close to the glass, as the silvery shimmer appeared again. Her breath caught as the shimmer solidified into the figure of something resembling a Greek statue, winged and fierce. Beside the figure appeared a huge wolf, shadowy in the night. "What are you?" Artemis whispered, her breath fogging up the window glass.

 _Be at peace. Know you are not alone._

Artemis froze. The voice had sounded in her head. "Wha…what are you?"

 _From the days of old, humankind has seldom seen or heard those who act on behalf of the chosen._

"Who are the chosen?"

 _Having been freed from the curse, chosen as an instrument of light._

"Do you mean my daughter?"

 _Among others. You have long chosen to fight on behalf of the light. Choosing to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. Choosing to believe the best of people when they can't believe that for themselves. Choosing to hope, when hope appeared to have fled._

"I don't understand. Am I chosen? Or is that what I chose?"

 _Yes._

"But what does that mean?"

 _Continue to chose hope. Know we fight with you against the darkness._

The figures outside faded away. Artemis sniffed suddenly and wiped away the tears she hadn't realized she was crying. It didn't quite make sense to feel better because some spectral being had told her she wasn't alone, but she did feel better. The moment the voice had told her to be at peace she'd felt awash with it - a strange hope and certainty. The fear and grief that had gripped her heart faded away.

"Well, I don't know what exactly that was, little one," she murmured, rubbing her belly soothingly, "but it looks like we may have more people on our side than we thought. We can stay hopeful, right?" Then the realization struck her. "Because things are going to look pretty hopeless," she whispered, feeling the weight of truth rest on the statement. She didn't know what was about to happen for all of them, but it was becoming plain that while it might be a time for hope, it was going to also be a time for perseverance.

* * *

The crack of a nearby apparation went unnoticed by the local villagers, although a few heads turned at the young blonde woman walking purposefully toward the high street from the direction of what they knew to be an impenetrable forest. The Order members that had stopped by the local bookstore to retrieve Remus' intel had gone away frustrated over the last few weeks. Their orders were to stop by, but not make contact if there were other customers in the store or ask any other employees for information if he wasn't working. But it had been too long without contact for Lina's liking, and since she wasn't above going rogue, she decided to take things into her own hands. Not for the first time, she wondered how effective the Order really was in dealing with Voldemort. In her line of work it was money that made things happen. And the jobs she handled where the injured parties couldn't pay…well she just made sure the bad guys did. Rarely were things done well with too many ideals or too many secrets involved, and the Order was rife with both.

"Hiya!" she chirped, plastering on a fake smile and standing just a little closer to the teenage boy working on a window display than she technically needed to.

"Hel…Hello," the young man stammered, his ears turning pink. "How…how can I help you?"

"Well," she drawled out, tilting her head and shifting even a smidge closer, like she was preparing to tell him a secret, "I was looking for a friend of mine that works here - tall, quiet, has some sexy scars."

The boy frowned as though trying to reconcile the image of his reserved coworker with this pretty, vivacious creature beside him. "Oh…uh Mr. Lupin doesn't work here anymore. He quit about two weeks back. Said he was moving."

Lina pouted a little as her mind raced through options. "Well, my friend'll be gutted. He was supposed to take her out at the weekend. I'd best be off then. Thanks anyway, um…Brian," she said, glancing at his name tag and then looking endearingly into his eyes.

"Mm…my pleasure," he managed to get out. As Lina reached the door to leave he called after her in a voice that was just a shade too loud. "I have a scar on my right forearm! Uh…from a rifle barrel when I was hunting with my dad once."

Lina turned back and gave him a long look up and down. "I'll bet you have," she replied brightly and winking as she left the shop. Out in the street she rolled her eyes at her own performance. "That was half-hearted at best, my girl. It's a good job that lad's been stuck in this village all his life, or I'm not sure you could have sold that. That blasted dog's made you go soft."

Still muttering to herself, she walked quickly back to the woods. The werewolf pack must've moved on, and Remus probably planned to fill them in when he returned for the full moon. As ineffective as the Wolfsbane potion was proving lately, they'd better double the dose again. Nodding firmly, Lina disapparated to the closest wizard post she knew of and sent an owl to Snape with the request, and another owl to Remus, trying to word the message to be as innocuous as possible and still convey he needed to make contact sooner rather than later. She sure didn't want to deal with him arriving just in time to transform with the house chock-full of other werewolves and his pregnant whatever-he-considered-Artemis-to-be.

* * *

** Thanks for reading, following and reviewing! Guest, I agree, young people are typically slower to comprehend the tragedy of what war really means. And while they may have started the name discussion a little flippantly, I think the concept of having a nickname for their "military division" is important. And having had experience both in the US military and as a werewolf, Xavier understands they are going to have to have something iconic and unique to their little family. At least in my head, that's where he's coming from. ;) They are sheltered, and they will all get a chance to do those things they want to do. Don't worry...those arranged marriages will sort themselves out. They feel it's a protective measure, but understanding of their condition and their circumstances are going to change. Thanks again!


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37 ~ January, 1997

Fresh baked bread and the warmth from both the huge range and warming charms made the kitchen a cozy refuge from the unexpected snow storm that had descended after lunchtime. Artemis inhaled deeply as she stepped over the doorway, the bang of the closing storm door startling the mess of black curls bent over a table. Jane looked up from where she was furiously scribbling down as many recipes as she could think of to leave for the ones staying behind. "Ketzelah!" she said, smiling. "You're a little early to help with dinner. Did you come for a kaffeeklatsch?"

"I will never say no to a cup of tea and your rugelach, Jane," Artemis replied, shedding her coat and hat. "Really, I just needed to get out of my own head for a little bit."

"You've seemed a little quieter than normal the past couple days. How about you grab the cookies and I'll make the tea, and you can tell me what's going on?"

It never failed to amaze Artemis the sheer amount of time things took without using magic. Gone were the days of filling a kettle and having a spell instantly boil the water. Instead you had to find fiddley little things to do to fill the minutes waiting for the shrill whistle - taking down a tray, choosing cups and saucers or mugs, finding napkins that matched the cups you'd chosen, putting milk in the little fancy pitcher, fixing a plate with whatever the preferred snack might be, rearranging the boxes of tea bags, or as was the case today, flipping through the recipes Jane was writing out and adding notations to them. But finally, Artemis was sat as close to the table as she was able to get at eight months pregnant, wrapping her hands around the comforting warmth of a mug of fragrant tea. "Sorry I can't make the chairs more comfortable," Jane said ruefully. "Ten years without a wand and I still find myself taken by surprise sometimes that I don't have it with me. Now, what has you so somber all of a sudden? Are you nervous about going back to England? I thought you'd be excited."

Artemis tapped her fingers lightly on the handle of the mug. "I'm excited and nervous I guess. But the thing is…I saw something…heard something…and I'm not entirely sure what it means."

Jane drew her brows together, absentmindedly blowing a curl off her face. "What did you see?"

"I saw two figures outside the other night, and one of them kind of…spoke to me…sort of."

"You mean somebody got on to the reservation? That's…well I won't say it's impossible, but it's highly improbable."

"They weren't people. Maybe Patronuses? But huge, and they…acted differently than I've seen before."

Jane's face was suddenly comprehending. "Were they werewolves? But bigger and kind of transparent?"

"One was," said Artemis, feeling instantly relieved that Jane didn't think she was crazy. "The other kind of looked like a Greek statue."

Jane nodded. "I've only seen a wolf once, when I first came here. They're a sort of spirit warrior or angel, I guess you could say."

Her eyes widened. "I didn't think things like that were real."

Jane shrugged. "I told you we tapped into another level of something here. You know, growing up, my grandmother used to tell me stories from the Tanakh. There were lots of these angels that would help out people sometimes. The good ones, anyway…there were bad ones too. Grams talked about it from her book too. I guess you don't know you don't know something until you know it."

Artemis wrinkled her nose at the cryptic statement. "How do I know if the ones I saw were bad ones or good ones?"

"Oh, I'm sure they were good. Grams says the last time any bad ones showed up was when Xander and Xavier first got here. But they couldn't get in, the other ones wouldn't let them."

"What?"

"Well they're around all the time. We just can't usually see them. You said they spoke to you? What did they say?"

Artemis sighed and sipped her tea. "It wasn't exactly talking…more like I just knew what they were saying in my head. I was so shocked I don't remember exactly. It was something about that I wasn't alone and to stay hopeful."

"That doesn't sound bad," Jane smiled. "Why do you look so mopey then?"

"Right before they showed up it had just occurred to me how stupid I was being, feeling so excited and eager to get back to England when Remus…I mean, he doesn't even know about the baby yet, and he's been living with a werewolf pack, and Sirius seems to think it must be terrible, because his transformations have been so difficult, and he was so adamant about not wanting children, and now the one thing he didn't want to happen has happened…she's a werewolf, and I don't see how he's going to get over that…at least not for a while, and I just seemed to get the idea that this spirit, or whatever, was telling me to be hopeful because things were going to look…hopeless."

Jane grabbed the cold hand that had been agitatedly drumming on the table top. "Ketzelah," she said softly, "No matter what happens in England, you won't be alone. We will all be there for you." She paused and her eyes twinkled as she added, "And it's only partly because you'll be the only one who knows her way around."

"Thanks, Jane," said Artemis sincerely. "Part of me knew those things must have something to do with how things are for you all here. But part of me thought I might be going crazy."

"Well, I've heard all the best people are," laughed Jane, "so you'd be in good company."

"Somehow I think when you're a Scamander, you're always treading on the fringes of sanity anyway," said Artemis wryly. "Are you excited about going to England?"

"I'm probably equal parts excited and concerned," said Jane thoughtfully, wrinkling her nose. "I'm mostly relieved…" her voice trailed off for a moment before she finished with, "…that I'll get to at least leave the state once more before I die. This and school are the farthest I've ever been from the Bronx."

Artemis raised her eyebrows. "What were you really going to say? That was a terrible save."

Jane smiled sheepishly. "I'm relieved that Hawthorne decided to come, and that I didn't have to decide between going with everyone else or staying here." She shrugged helplessly. "I wasn't sure how it would go being apart from him."

"I didn't know you two were…together…" said Artemis in surprise. "I mean with him still technically being married, and he seems pretty old-fashioned…Merlin, I mean, I'm not judging you…I mean, it's none of my business…Oh, good grief, I'm just going to shut up now…" she trailed off, seeing Jane's flushed face.

"It…um…well it's not quite that simple," Jane said softly. She smiled up at Artemis a little sadly, tucking a loose curl back under her scarf. "I forget sometimes that you don't really know all the ins and outs of being a werewolf. I'm not even sure we fully understand it ourselves. We're going off of what Nana says it was like before, and what Xander and Xavier said about their time on the Southwest Res. Apparently most packs are pretty violent. There's the whole blood lust thing, and then males fight to be the Alpha and to claim a mate. So you know we don't really deal with the blood lust, and Kieran's pretty much the Alpha, even if he doesn't want to call it that."

"How did that happen?" interrupted Artemis. "I mean, wasn't Oscar here for quite a few years first? And then it seems like most of the others came all in a bunch. How did Kieran get to be the Alpha if they don't fight?"

Jane sighed. "Yeah, there was a particularly prolific werewolf running around in the eighties. From what we've pieced together he's responsible for most of us. Alma's the one that finally took him down, but he got her too."

"Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry," whispered Artemis. "That's the same one that got my brother. Our Auror team was sent after him, but couldn't get him. Alma's team was sent next."

"Maybe it was all for a purpose," shrugged Jane. "Grams says that even bad things can be used for good if we're willing to look for it. Anyway, with the Alpha thing, it's nothing official, you can just sort of sense it, you know? Didn't you feel it when you first met Kieran?"

Artemis nodded, thinking back to her first day here, when the looming figure had appeared in her doorway and she had instantly assumed he was in charge.

"So then the other thing packs fight over is females. We all think it's maybe not the overwhelming problem for us that it is for other werewolves, but no one's wanted to test the theory. So females are claimed as soon as they arrive. Oscar had Rosa, obviously, so when I arrived there was Marcus and Hawthorne. Hawthorne and I were closer in age and our stories were similar, and we just sort of clicked. So…I'm…his. It's just…he's my best friend, and I didn't want to risk being separated from him if there really is something serious to us being connected or whatever." Jane finished, shrugging again, looking at Artemis with a silent plea for her to understand.

"But how does that…work? I mean, do you just…well, what does claiming mean?" Artemis asked, her cheeks pinking in embarrassment.

"Not what you're thinking it means," replied Jane dryly. "The males just have to decide, and then you're scent marked. There are scent glands along the jaw and behind the ears."

Artemis nodded slowly, things clicking into place. "So…Marcus and Alma?"

Jane smiled. "They aren't romantically involved, but he gets her. They're a good team."

"And it's time to match up the younger girls? That's what Joshua meant about promising to marry Daisy?"

Jane nodded. "I know it might seem strange, but you have to take into account that none of us thought we'd ever leave this place. We'd all planned to live out the rest of our lives here, with this same small group of people. So it makes sense to limit any situations that could arise by leaving them unclaimed. And from a human perspective arranged marriages have worked in numerous cultures for centuries."

"And Ellie and I don't cause problems by being here, in that respect I mean?"

Jane looked at her in surprise. "Ellie's been claimed by Kieran. They aren't really together, but Kieran's rather besotted. And you were already claimed when you arrived."

Eyes wide, Artemis stared at Jane, dumbfounded for a moment. "Oh," she said finally. "You mean because of the baby?"

No," replied Jane, shaking her head, "because you're marked." She looked at Artemis in concern. "Remus marked you when he was transformed and you didn't know?"

"But…I've only been with him once when he was a werewolf…what would he have done…"

"He would have rubbed his jaw and head over you…you know, like dogs and cats do."

"I…was transformed that night. He did press his head against my neck, but I…holy hippogriff, I did that to him," Artemis whispered. "And I think he maybe did right before we fell asleep."

Jane made a sympathetic face. "Well, that's why you're claimed. Mazal tov."

"And is that why things have been so rough for him? I mean, Sirius says his transformations have been increasingly violent, and he's been withdrawn and unhappy. Is that because we're apart?" Artemis asked, her face creased in heartbroken awareness.

Jane hesitated. "Probably. That's why I didn't want to risk leaving Hawthorne here. But we're operating on a lot of hearsay in how we handle claiming. All I can tell you for sure is that you showed up here smelling of another werewolf and you were only going to be here temporarily, so we didn't feel it was a good idea to match you up with one of the men."

Artemis sighed. "I came here to get out of my own head for little while, Jane. This didn't really help."

"It's always better to know the truth. Grams says the truth sets you free," offered Jane, the compassion evident in her voice.

"Lina says that too. Ugh…why is life so complicated?!" Artemis groaned, throwing her hands in the air. "Now I get to show up and say, 'Hi Remus. Your worst nightmare is coming true - your baby is a werewolf, but hey, your transformations should be easier now that I'm back because apparently we marked each other and it might literally kill you to be separated from me. By the way, how's that civil war going?' This is just friggin' fantastic," she finished, burying her head in her arms on the table.

"Sooo…I think maybe your warrior was right," said Jane after a minute. "You did need to be reminded to stay hopeful."

* * *

** I hope that didn't feel like filler. Sometimes you get going and then realize that just because you talked about something in previous chapters and the readers know about it, doesn't mean the characters all know what they need to know. lol And sorry that these last few chapters have been Remus-less. He'll be back on Wednesday! Thanks so much for reading, reviewing and following - you are all amazing!


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38 ~ January, 1997

Remus sat by himself, a little ways off from the campfire. The villages close to where the pack had set up their new camp were smaller, and he hadn't been able to find another job. The legislation that passed under Fudge's administration restricting werewolf employment had finally trickled down to Obscurus Books' editors, and he'd been sacked from that job as well. Besides the extra free time that sat ill with him, he soon realized that if he wasn't able to contribute to the pack, they'd ask him to move on.

The deep sigh that rattled through his chest sounded hollow, and triggered a slight coughing fit. Remus knew he wasn't in the best of health right now, and without any work to distract him, found his mind overwhelmed with thoughts of his own mortality. Isak Horváth's arrival at the bookstore had pulled him back from the brink, but the vicious whispers in his head were only muffled, not completely silenced. A letter was written and waiting in his cloak pocket to send to Dumbledore asking for this assignment to end, but he couldn't bring himself to send it yet. He'd given up hope that the werewolf pack could be encouraged to choose sides until they were under a direct threat, and knew he would serve the Order better in another capacity, yet the letter remained unsent. Part of him was simply afraid to return to Grimmauld Place, and try to pick up the threads of his life there. At least with the pack they understood a side of him that the other Order members never could. And the pack didn't ask him to try and be more or better than he was at the moment. Remus knew they didn't all particularly like him. It was too obvious that he'd spent most of his life trying to reign in or hide the werewolf side of him, but they were also content to let him alone. Another cough shook his body, and when he looked up a steaming mug of tea hovered in front of his face.

"This is really a matriarchy in disguise, you know," muttered Alec McIntyre, as he sat beside Remus. "Sometimes I think being the Alpha only ensures that everything Circe and Deirdre want done is done." He smiled at Remus' confused frown as he accepted the hot drink. "My wife and daughter insisted that I check on you," he clarified, "and make sure you know that you're welcome to stay here as long as you need to - with or without a job. You were more than generous with your previous paychecks.

Remus stared at the grizzled older man in surprise. "Th…thank you." He took a sip of the tea, closing his eyes in appreciation as the honey and lemon coated his throat.

"When did you lose your mate?" Alec asked suddenly, and Remus almost dropped the mug in surprise, the hot tea sloshing over his fingers.

"Damn," he hissed, and a sudden memory played itself out - black hair and laughing eyes, burned fingers and a teasing reprimand. His eyes stung as he cleared his throat. "Um, I don't have a mate, exactly…she didn't know…it was more of a…well…it's been eight months," he admitted.

Alec sighed loudly. "Look, laddie, I'm not good at this emotional encouraging stuff, but that lass over there," he said, gesturing vaguely to where Deirdre sat with Circe outside their caravan, "is worried about you. And if my girl is worried, than I'm obligated to do something about it."

"There's nothing to be done. She's in America."

"If you don't find a new mate, this will most likely kill you," Alec stated bluntly. "Your depression, how sick and tired you feel, more violent transformations, are all symptoms that will worsen. Ignoring this for so many weeks…"

"Thirty-three weeks," Remus interrupted. "Two hundred twenty-four days."

Alec scrubbed his hand over his face. "I know you don't agree with how we live. And I don't agree with your war mongering. But you can't continue on like this. Deirdre has suggested I let you claim her, and while I am not inclined to agree, I have been overruled," he said, glancing ruefully back at his wife.

The shock rendered Remus mute for a full minute. "She's just a kid," he muttered, shaking his head.

"I didn't say you had to sleep with her," the older man growled, a scowl etched across this face. "You don't even have to provide for her. But the bond would make it easier on you."

"That…that isn't what I meant," protested Remus. "Deirdre's too young to waste her time worrying about me. It took me a little while to realize, but I know full well what's happening to me. I just haven't decided what to do about it yet."

"What's there to decide?" asked Alec incredulously. "If you claimed her by accident, and she's gone…"

"I love her!" Remus burst out, dropping the mug and burying his face in his hands. He looked up at the grey sky, blinking away tears. "I love her," he repeated softly, "and I'm going to die in this war anyway. So thank you, but no. I will not complicate your daughter's life or put your pack at risk for my own convenience."

A faintly impressed and pleased expression crossed Alec's face. "I wondered if that would occur to you. It didn't seem to occur to Deirdre."

Remus looked over at the red-haired girl, laughing in the distance, and shook his head. "She looks for the silver linings. But it wouldn't work, even if I were inclined to consider it. We aren't in control enough during the moon for you to allow it, and if you did your authority as Alpha would be in question. It wouldn't take two seconds for some of the others to challenge you."

"I agree. I think it's better you stick with your routine of leaving before the moon rises tonight." He raised his eyebrows as Remus stilled in surprise. "Didn't think I knew about that, did you? If it were anybody else I might worry that they're taking a page out of Greyback's book and intentionally trying to infect people. But you hate the werewolf too much for that. I figure you go somewhere you feel is safer for others."

Remus nodded dumbly. Alec stood and clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, Lupin, that things worked out like this for you. I really am."

Remus watched Alec walk over to his caravan, and speak to Circe and Deirdre. Circe nodded, but Deirdre looked back over to Remus, her shoulders slumping a little. She moved to walk towards him, but Circe took her arm and said something, her face gentle and understanding. Deirdre shrugged and turned to enter the caravan. Sighing heavily, Remus retreated to his own tent to try and sleep a little. The owl winging its way down, landed between him and the opening in the tent. He untied the small scroll of parchment from its leg and apologized for not having anything to offer. The owl gave him a disapproving glare and took off again, quickly fading into the sky. Remus unrolled the letter and skimmed over what appeared to be a party invitation for Caroline Bingley. Lina wanted him to check in. He sighed again as he entered the small tent. Tonight would be soon enough. He was exhausted, and knew the difficult transformation would only add to his fatigue. First a nap, then he'd try to leave a little earlier than normal and see what was so important that Lina felt she needed to make contact.

* * *

Artemis' heart was racing and the entire reservation seemed electrified. Everyone was up and ready at dawn, most unable to enjoy their final breakfast together because of excitement or nerves. It was an underhanded move for MCUSA to move up the transfer date to a full moon. Artemis was sure they were expecting Ben, their spook at the Ministry, to report back some incident that would cement the American policy of magical beast containment. Well, there certainly wouldn't be any incident involving any of these werewolves, she thought to herself with satisfaction, as she waved a goodbye to the group. MCUSA officials had arrived promptly at eight o'clock. They would be traveling by portkey from the reservation to an International Apparation Site, where Aurors from the British Ministry of Magic would meet them to apparate the werewolves over. Kingsley had arranged that those Aurors would also be Order members who would then shepherd the entire group to Grimmauld Place. The entire process should take less than five minutes. Then, considering the time difference, they would have several hours to settle in at the house before the moon rose. As soon as they were at the house Kreacher would come for her. The butterflies flitted around her stomach again as Artemis thought about seeing Remus. She still hadn't decided on whether she'd use a glamour to hide the pregnancy until she'd had a chance to talk to him or not. Lina had told her he typically showed up just minutes before the moon rose, but she'd asked him to come early to meet everyone first.

It was 8:15 when Kreacher appeared with a loud crack. Hugging Nana and Grams, shaking Marcus' hand, and giving a final friendly nod to Alma, Artemis picked up the same small suitcase she'd arrived with eight months earlier and took Kreacher's hand. A dizzying moment later, they landed in the front hall of Number Twelve, greeted by a wide grin on Sirius' face.

"Ah, I missed you Kitten!" he said, pulling her close in a tight hug, at least as tight as he could manage with the baby between them. He pulled away and knelt before her, hands on either side of her rounded belly as he smirked up at her anxious face before whispering to the baby, "Your father has some explaining to do, doesn't he, Moonbeam?"

"Moonbeam?" asked Artemis, making a face.

"You're right, that's terrible," agreed Sirius, clambering back to his feet. "Don't worry, I'll think of the perfect nickname. It's a necessity for a second generation Marauder."

"Welcome home, love," added Lina, running down the stairs and grabbing her in her own embrace. "Everything went perfectly. They're all choosing rooms and roommates and checking the place out."

Kreacher suddenly appeared beside them. "Would Mistress like some tea?" he croaked, unable to hide the pleased expression on his face.

Artemis rested her hand on the top of his head. "That sounds heavenly, Kreacher, thank you."

"So, I'm bunking with you," Lina said, as the three of them made their way down to the kitchen. "Everyone's doubled or tripled up. If it doesn't work, Sirius thought we could add rooms to the top of the house, but one of the girls saw there was an old greenhouse and rooftop garden up there, and begged us not to mess with it."

"Um, I guess Remus isn't here yet?" asked Artemis softly.

Lina and Sirius exchanged a glance. "That is potentially a problem," began Lina slowly. "You know he's been staying with the pack, but they moved camp recently and we haven't been able to get a hold of him. He will most likely be back tonight, but…"

"He could show up and not be prepared for there being so many other werewolves here," finished Sirius. "We, uh, we weren't able to reach him in time to tell him any of you were coming. Hopefully you being here will help, but the werewolf's been quite the mess lately. If it gets close to moonrise, and he hasn't shown up yet, I think we should sequester everyone in their rooms with wards up, and Lina and I will handle him."

Artemis frowned. "But we think things have been so bad for him because we've been separated. It's a werewolf thing. Surely if he sees me, or the werewolf scents me, it will help."

"Possibly, but if he accidentally hurt you, he wouldn't be able to come back from that," said Lina firmly.

"How about we do this?" offered Sirius. "You have some tea and unpack your things. Then you can rest or read in his room for a while. That will leave your scent for him. If it seems to settle him down when he's transformed, then you can sit in the hallway with us and try to talk to him. But if it seems to make him more agitated, you're staying locked in with everyone else. Agreed?"

Artemis made a face and nodded unhappily.

"Ketzelah!" called Jane happily from the doorway, carrying in several boxes and dumping them onto the kitchen table. "You made it!"

"What's a ket za la?" asked Sirius, opening one of the boxes, and making a face at the packets of raw meat.

"Artemis said you called her Kitten. It's Yiddish for Kitten," replied Jane, offering her hand. "I'm Jane Novak."

"Sirius Black," he replied shaking her hand firmly. "What's all this?"

"Groceries. Ellie shrank everything down and we packed it up this morning with my things. I figured MCUSA could at least pay for a some supplies to start things off. You haven't had to feed this many werewolves after a full moon before."

Ellie and Kieran made an appearance moments later, also carrying boxes of food. Finn followed slowly, crawling down the stairs backwards. At the bottom he ran over to Kieran and held up his arms beseechingly. "Kiki, I hold you," he said. Kieran obligingly scooped up the little boy, who promptly began jabbering in toddlerspeak about _my bed_ and _big stairs._

"Say hello to Mr. Black," Ellie encouraged the little boy. "He's letting us stay here at his house."

Finn studied Sirius solemnly for a moment before smiling shyly and burying his face in Kieran's shoulder. "Hello there, young man," said Sirius with a smile. "I think I might have some biscuits hidden in here somewhere. Should we try to find them?"

"Finn, you help Mr. Black find the biscuits, and I'll get you a cup of milk, all right?" said Ellie, ruffling his hair.

The little boy wiggled in Kieran's arms to show his willingness, and as soon as he was on his feet, held out a little hand to Sirius, with a cheerful "I ha' cookie!" Finn and Sirius started on their biscuit hunt, crawling on hands and knees around the kitchen, looking in the fireplace, under the table and in the lower cupboards, finally meeting success with a package of jaffa cakes inside the pantry. Eagerly shoving the first one into his mouth, the little boy was then content to carry the package around, passing out biscuits to the others in the kitchen, while they put the remaining groceries away.

"So who's bunking with who?" Artemis asked, sitting at the table with the steaming cup of tea Kreacher had made.

"I'm on the top floor with Hawthorne. Xander and Xavier are next door," said Kieran, closing his eyes as he mentally walked through the house. Y'all are the next floor down. Oscar and Rosa are there too. Below that one is an art room, Sirius and Remus, and the younger guys are there. Then the girls are down one more across from the living room."

Artemis looked at Sirius and smiled gratefully. "You gave up yours and Regulus' rooms?"

Sirius shrugged. "It made more sense to keep Moony where he was, and it's closest to the studio. I can always sleep there if he snores."

After finishing her tea, Artemis unpacked her things in her old room, then climbed the stairs to Remus' room. She walked around the room slowly, running her hand over the desk top. At some point since she'd left, Sirius had added paintings to the walls. The peaceful forest scene now included a regal looking stag that slowly walked among the trees, and a happy-go-lucky black dog bounding around his legs. Then her breath caught in her throat as she glimpsed a mountain lion sitting at attention on an outcropping of rock off in the distance, a sleek red fox beside her. Sirius Black never ceased to amaze her. Remus had been locked up alone the last several full moons, so Sirius gathered friends around him the one way he could. She only hoped it had been helpful in some small way.

Even though she'd scarcely been awake about four hours her time, it was four in the afternoon in London, and she knew it would be better to try and sleep a little now so she could stay awake tonight. Her memory couldn't help replaying the last time she'd been in this bed, waking confused and then mortified. She slowly pulled back the covers, kicked off her shoes, and climbed in. The linens smelled a little musty from disuse, but she caught the faintest scent of him as she buried her face in his pillow. Her body gave in to sleep faster than she'd expected, and her last thought before she drifted off was that she had to remain hopeful, no matter what happened when Remus arrived.

* * *

** Thanks so much to all you lovely people that follow, review and keep reading! Guest, thanks for your reviews! I'm glad that last chapter helped with any confusion on the claiming idea. Let me know when you post your story - I'd love to read it! Little warning for you, the next several chapters will be a tad stressful with sort-of cliffhangers, but we're wrapping up the whole pregnancy, Remus/Artemis reunion storyline. Hopefully the resolution will be worth it. :)


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39 ~ January, 1997

As Murphy's Law has so aptly stated, if something can go wrong, it will. Lina absolutely despised that principle. _This is why I work alone. The more people involved in a plan, the easier it is to muck up._ She was annoyed with Sirius for not telling Remus as soon as they had a plan in place, annoyed with Kingsley for not pushing back when the Americans wanted to change the date, annoyed with Artemis for being more concerned about Remus than herself, annoyed with the other werewolves for not already being sequestered that close to moon rise, and annoyed with herself for trying to be nice and not being the take-charge, unsentimental, hardened woman she was supposed to be.

She and Sirius were still in the kitchen helping Jane clear up after dinner when they heard the front door slam shut. It took them a second to recognize what that meant, and by the time they had dashed up the stairs from the basement, Remus was brandishing his wand defensively at Kieran and yelling for Sirius. Lina disarmed him as Sirius lunged forward, pushing Remus back against the closed door and telling him to calm down. Everyone began to gather on the stairs and toward the front hall, drawn by the shouting, and wondering what was going on.

"Get them out of here!" Lina shouted to Gareth, gesturing for him and Oscar to head back up the stairs. Oscar nodded quickly in comprehension and began ushering Rosa, Isabel and Catherine back as well. Lina pushed Jane to join them. Ellie was leaning down from an upper landing, and quickly grabbed Finn from where he stood beside her, ducking into a room. Joshua pulled Daisy back from the entry way into the Dining Room. Kieran, Xander and Xavier took up defensive stances at the bottom of the staircase, and Lina wondered what in the world they thought they were going to do against a wizard.

"Moony, wait!" yelled Sirius, as Remus fought back against him, still shouting. It took Lina a moment to realize he was shouting for Artemis, and she moved to go get her, but froze as all the werewolves began to transform. Sirius shot her a desperate look just before Remus threw him against a wall. Kieran and Xavier moved forward, as Xander maintained his post at the stairs, and began circling Remus, keeping him pressed back to the door.

Lina dashed across the entry way to Sirius and helped him to his feet. "Make sure the others are safe, and we'll try to force him up to his room," he gasped out. He pushed her lightly toward the stairs before transforming. She transformed as well and turned back to touch his nose briefly with her own before racing away around Xander and up the stairs.

Padfoot came up beside Kieran, just as Remus lashed out, claws raking across Xavier's neck and shoulder. He yelped, and Padfoot darted forward, nipping at Moony's legs. Xander snarled and started towards the fray, but Kieran rose up to his considerable height and grabbed Remus' shoulders, throwing him down to the ground and pinning him there. Remus snarled and howled, trying to get away. Sirius ran towards the stairs and back again, whining. Xander nodded and began backing up the stairs.

Artemis awoke to shouts, and as she threw off the covers someone barged into the room. She sat up, disoriented, and blinking confusedly. The room was dark but for the light in the hallway that outlined a figure. The figure came over to the bed and grabbed her arm, gently hauling her to her feet.

"Artemis, he's here, but it's not going well, you need to get to your room," Lina said urgently.

"But can't I at least try to see him, speak to him?" she asked, stumbling behind her out of the room. She vaguely noticed Xander's reddish gold werewolf glancing at her, before he turned back to look down the staircase, seemingly standing guard on the landing.

"No it's too late!" Lina pushed her along up the next flight of stairs to their shared room. Once inside Artemis noticed Ellie and Finn were there; Finn, transformed, was leaping happily on top of the bed, throwing a stuffed bear up in the air and wrestling with it as it came back down. Ellie lead Artemis over to a chair and began running her wand over her body, murmuring the diagnostic spells. Lina left the room again immediately, and Artemis could hear her in the hallway adding magical locks and wards up around the door.

"You're both fine," said Ellie. "Did you feel her transform again?"

"No…I was asleep," admitted Artemis. "What's going on?"

Ellie looked concerned. "Remus arrived just a few minutes before the moon rose. I'm guessing the scents were so overwhelming he didn't know what to do. Before he could get somewhere safe, everyone transformed all at once.

"Was…was anyone hurt?" Artemis asked quietly.

"Not that I know of. Oscar and Gareth were taking Rosa, Jane, Cat and Isabel up to a room. I didn't see Hawthorne, or Joshua and Daisy. I think Hezekiah was in his room listening to a Quidditch match on the radio. Xander, Xavier and Kieran were keeping Remus away from the stairs. Sirius was trying to hold him back against the front door."

"This is all my fault," Artemis whispered, tears pricking her eyes. "If I hadn't marked him, or claimed him, or whatever happened…"

"No, it's not that simple," argued Ellie. "Remus staying with the werewolf pack, and not getting the news in time had nothing to do with you. This is just a perfect storm of events."

"So now we have to wait?"

"Now we wait."

* * *

Lina had gone back down and told Xander to move halfway up the next flight of stairs, clearing the path for Remus to get to his room, but stopping him from going further up. Then she took a deep breath and stood at the top of the stairs, looking down into the entry way. "Let him up. We'll herd him into his own room," she called down to the others. Kieran pulled away, and he and Xavier backed towards the Dining Room, giving Remus some space. Remus rose to his feet and howled, before growling a challenge and taking a step toward Kieran. "Come on, Lupin. You know you want to bite me!" yelled Lina, drawing his attention. Sirius barked and moved toward her, but she waved him off. Remus paused, looking from Kieran to Lina. Kieran growled and he and Xavier began to move around behind Remus, forcing him towards the stairs.

With one more snarl towards Kieran and Xavier, Remus took off toward the stairs. A brief look of fear flashed across Lina's face before she turned and transformed, the red fox flying up the next flight of stairs past Xander. Remus paused on the landing to growl a warning at Xander before the open room caught his attention. That long elusive scent was stronger here. He stood in the doorway, ears perked and nose flaring. The scent wasn't quite right. Remus slowly entered the room, trying to pinpoint the problem. Another scent was mixed in. He moved further in, whining softly as he nosed the bedcovers. The door closed behind him, and he flung himself towards it. He needed to follow the scent. Howling desperately, he threw himself at the door, and began clawing the wood.

Out in the hallway, Sirius sat wearily against the wall, slowly reinforcing the spells on the door. Kieran lay nearby on the landing, keeping watch on both Remus' door and the entry way. Daisy had taken up position at the foot of the stairs in the entryway, focused on the front door, Joshua beside her. The others couldn't tell why, but she was fixed on the door, fur standing on end and ears laid back; letting out challenging snarls once in a while. Lina changed back, and led Xavier up to her room. Taking the wards down, and unlocking the door, Lina stood aside to let the werewolf in. Ellie jumped up immediately and started examining his wounds. After healing the gashes and applying a thick salve, he turned to leave again. Artemis jumped up to stop him. "I'm so sorry," she whispered in his ear. Xavier let out a huff and shook his head at her, before nosing her cheek and leaving the room, joining Xander on the next landing.

"Everything will be fine, love," said Ellie. "It will leave a few scars, but nothing too terrible."

"It could have been a lot worse," agreed Lina. "We'll get everything sorted out in the morning. I'm going to go check on the others and then sit with Sirius. Artemis, I'm sorry, but I think you'd better stay here. If he could smell you out in the hallway, I'm not sure we'd be able to keep him in the room."

Artemis nodded. "I'll come down as soon as everyone changes back in the morning." Lina left the room, putting the barriers back up. "He's going to hate himself when he realizes what happened," she told Ellie quietly.

"I think there will probably be recriminations all around," said Ellie. "We could have handled many things differently to avoid this. But it doesn't do any good to waste time asking yourself, 'What if.'" She took out her wand and floated the stuffed bear around the room, letting Finn run and tumble across the floor chasing it until he was worn out. Then she settled him on to Lina's bed, stroking him gently and humming until he drifted off to sleep. The two women talked quietly until Ellie dozed off, curling up beside Finn, and Artemis sat in the chair, staring at the door, waiting for dawn.

* * *

As the sun rose, and the moon faded away, Artemis felt again the strange twisting and pulling of her baby transforming. Lina had already let down the magical barriers on all the rooms, and Ellie insisted on one last cursory check before letting her leave. When she was cleared, Artemis moved as quickly as she could out of the room and down the stairs. Jane and Sirius were in the hallway holding a whispered conference about breakfast, and Artemis hugged him tightly. "Go on, Kitten," Sirius said softly. "He needs you more than he needs anything else right now."

Artemis opened the door and felt the tears stream down her face as she saw the crumpled man on the floor just inside the room. She grabbed a blanket from the bed and lay it over him, then awkwardly lowered herself down onto the floor beside him and brushed his hair away from his face. Scrapes and bruises were already showing on his shoulder, and his breathing seemed labored. "Remus, I'm here," she whispered, "And things might seem a little terrible at first, but I have to believe that everything's going to work out. I love you, and I'm so very sorry about all this."

His first conscious thought was pain. Pain flared from his chest and over his right shoulder. Remus shifted experimentally. The shoulder didn't seem broken, but he thought a rib might be. He stilled again, trying to gather his strength to venture sitting up. A quick intake of a breath and the light scent of vanilla pushed all other thoughts from his mind. He almost didn't dare open his eyes for fear of being disappointed. How could she truly be here?

Deciding it was better to deal with it all at once, Remus sucked in a painful breath and shoved himself up off the floor, groaning loudly as the pain spiked in his chest. Definitely a broken rib then. He cautiously raised his eyes and almost wept in relief. Her face was pale, and dark shadows underlined her bright eyes. Her hair was down, and he reached out a hand to run his fingers through the loose strands, reassuring himself that she wasn't an illusion. He didn't trust himself to speak, as his hand trembled over her hair and then brushed lightly at the tears on her cheeks. Artemis covered his hand with her own and brought it up against her cheek, leaning into his touch, her tears beginning anew.

Sirius came in the room then with Ellie, and managed to get Remus to his feet and over to the bed. He came back over by the door, and helped Artemis up as well. As Remus tried to drink in the sight of her, a new pain suddenly overrode the others. She was very obviously, heavily pregnant, and the emotions began to flash too fleetingly through his mind for him to settle on any one of them. Shock. Hurt. Fear. Anger. Betrayal. It was too much to try and process in that moment. Each breath he took was searing his chest, and his shoulder throbbed. Turning away from her, he focused his gaze on the wall. The painted stag and dog were still for the moment, staring back at him.

"Well, let's see what damage we've done," Ellie said briskly running her wand over over him. "Cracked rib. Let's take care of that first." Her spell realigned his rib and knit it instantly back together, and Remus drew in a full grateful breath. "Scrapes and bruising should heal fairly quickly on their own," she added, gently applying a cream to his shoulder.

"May I get dressed now?" Remus asked in a clipped voice. Sirius looked at him, confused by the angry tone.

"Of course," replied Ellie, frowning at him. "Breakfast should be ready in a moment. You can come down when you're ready."

"We'll wait for you outside," said Artemis softly, moving towards the door. Sirius shot him one more strange look, before following the women out of the room.

Once alone, Remus quickly dressed and gathered up any other belongings he had in the room. His thoughts were a hurricane of hurt and rage, as he stormed out of the room and moved quickly past Artemis and Sirius down the stairs.

"Remus, wait! Please let me explain! I know how you feel, and I never would have done this…"

The door slammed and they heard a faint crack as Remus disapparated from the front steps.

"…on purpose." Artemis finished.

Sirius wrapped his arm around her shoulder, drawing her close as the tears started. "Argh! I am so sick and tired of crying over him!" she yelled, pulling away from Sirius. Grabbing a vase off a table she flung it at the front door.

* * *

Down in the kitchen, the Americans were quiet. After the door had slammed the radio came to life, blaring static and an angry heavy metal song. When they couldn't shut it, off, Hawthorne threw a towel over it and put it in a cupboard, muffling the sound.

"I don't know who I feel more sorry for," said Jane, and the rest nodded in agreement.

"He needs to fight for them," said Daisy, shaking her head.

"What did you see last night?" asked Kieran. "Clearly something was there."

Daisy nodded. "I didn't realize…how protected we were back home. There are enemies everywhere outside the reservation. A few people we saw yesterday didn't have any, but most have…several."

"But the warriors are there too, right?" asked Isabel.

"Yes, but…they aren't always released to fight." She looked around the table helplessly, as she saw everyone was watching her, waiting for her to explain.

Kieran sighed. "Daisy, you're the Seer now. You have to help us understand what's happening."

"There was an enemy that came in with Remus last night, wasn't there?" asked Joshua. "What was it trying to do?"

"Yeah. They…they lie. They whisper things to discourage people and stir up trouble. This one, umm, it was like it was…like if you took hopelessness, you know, that feeling and squished it into an ugly black creature. That's what it was. It…it tries to tell you there's no way out...that death is the only real option."

"You mean it tries to convince people to kill themselves?" asked Xavier. "I think we've met." The claw marks visible on his neck were still raw and angry looking. He looked at Xander, the brothers sharing a silent conversation.

Daisy thought for a moment. "I think it's goal is death. So it could be suicide, but it could also be murder. You know, it tries to convince you that killing yourself or killing someone else will fix what you think is wrong with your life."

"But what were the warriors doing?" asked Jane. "Surely they were there too?"

"Oh, they were fighting," said Daisy, her curls bouncing as she nodded her head. "But I got the feeling that if Remus' warrior hadn't started the fight, the others wouldn't have interfered."

Kieran's brow was creased as he tried to follow Daisy's thinking. "Do you mean that his warrior had been released? Is that the word you used? Like it has to be given permission?"

Daisy looked across the room suddenly, and focused on what appeared to be just the stove. After a moment, she nodded again. "They say their person, or the one given authority has to decide to fight back. Then they are released to war against the enemy...Oh! I have authority to release them. That will help."

"So Remus is fighting against the hopelessness?" asked Sirius. He and Artemis had been standing the doorway during most of the conversation.

"I can't believe I missed all that!" said Hezekiah. "I didn't hear the shouting over the radio, and then when I transformed the door was locked." He looked a little surprised and turned to Xavier. "You know, I think that was the first full moon I ever spent alone. Man, was it boring!"

Xavier shot him an exasperated look. "I would have gladly traded places with you."

"Nah, it's cool. You can pull off that scarred, tough guy look better than I can," Hezekiah grinned.

Jane came over and gave Artemis a hug, pulling her over to the table to sit down. "You said he was a good and kind man. I'm sure once he grows used to the idea of having a baby he'll come around."

"I didn't even get a chance to apologize," admitted Artemis. "As soon as he saw I was pregnant he sort of shut down. And then he ran out before I could say anything else. I mean, I knew he didn't want to have children, but he didn't even give me a chance…"

"Do you think he was worried about you carrying his child?" Xavier asked in his quiet, serious voice. "Or does he think that you're carrying one of ours?"

"What?" Artemis gasped. "Why would he think that? I mean if he marked me, wouldn't he know if…"

Sirius shook his head at that. "You smell different than you used to," he said with a shrug. "I mean, I'm just a dog, but it's probably the same for him. I can tell it's you, but it's different. The baby is mixed in I guess. And last night…"

"It was crazy," added Lina. "I'm sure you are all accustomed to each other, but for a newcomer it's incredibly overwhelming."

"I'm familiar with werewolf scent," said Sirius. "But your group is something else. There's a very raw power surrounding each of you, and if I didn't trust that you were safe it would be terrifying. In the heat of the moment last night, Moony was willing to fight, but I think today he just figured you chose one of them, Kitten," he said to Artemis gently.

"Is that what you meant by he needed to fight for them?" asked Catherine, turning back to Daisy.

Daisy nodded a little uncertainly. "He needs to decide to not listen to the hopelessness. He needs to choose life."

"Well I'm done waiting on him to deal with all this in his own way," grouched Sirius abruptly. "He's been using that werewolf pack to hide." He turned toward the door, then looked back at Lina. "I'm going to find him. And then I will incarcerous his arse and drag him back here. Care for another road trip?"

Lina smirked at him. "Going rogue are we? Count me in."

* * *

** Well, it all finally hit the fan! I hope that wasn't too disappointing - as Shakespeare wrote, "The course of true love never did run smooth." :) Thank you so much for sticking with me! Guest, regarding Deirdre, she isn't interested in him romantically, but she recognizes that she has very few options. She feels sorry for him and sees him as a safer bet than some of the other men in the pack. So she wasn't disappointed for herself, but just felt bad for him. Regarding his working, I tried to make this pack a little more middle of the road than how they are described in the book. So if we assume that during the first war the pack was just how you say: they were bitter and violent and more thieves and scavengers, then now there is still that element involved (given how hard it would be for them to find work in the wizarding world) but this Alpha tries to keep things a little more peaceful. I think that there would be some leniency or even encouragement in pack members finding work in a Muggle shop or even as a sort of migrant laborer to contribute. Hope that helps!


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40 ~ February, 1997

Isabel bounced excitedly in her seat. "I can't believe we're really here!" she whisper-shrieked to Oscar, sitting beside her. The London Palladium was as glorious as she'd imagined it to be - the columns, the gold filigree, red plush seats (three tiers of them!) the glowing lights and polished wood. Mr. Shacklebolt had arranged for them to see _Oliver!_ in small groups with an Auror escort. Tonks was sitting at the end of their row, followed by Rosa, Oscar, Isabel and Gareth. Mr. Shacklebolt would be taking Jane, Hawthorne, Hezekiah, Joshua and Daisy tomorrow night. Then next weekend Kieran, Ellie, Xander, Xavier and Catherine would finish it off, accompanied by someone called Diggle. Isabel giggled to herself, wondering how Catherine had managed to swing that. Of course it wasn't really a date, but it would probably feel a little bit like one.

The older man smiled, and patted her hand. "I am so pleased we are able to do this for you. In another life, perhaps you would have been down in that orchestra pit, in the first chair."

Isabel grinned at him cheekily. "Nah, I'm going to be front and center stage, guitar in hand, with hundreds of people screaming my name."

Oscar laughed softly as the lights began to dim. "Ah, _mi hija_ , after all, we are here tonight. I suppose anything is possible."

* * *

Great Britain was proving to be more exciting, bright, loud and crowded than any of the Americans had thought possible. The only one seemingly unfazed by it, was Jane, who had grown up in New York, and knew a city was really just lots of little neighborhoods piled together, many people living out the whole of their lives in their respective little collection of streets. Even though they needed an Auror with them everywhere they went, and they couldn't usually do things all together, the group leaped into life off the reservation.

Isabel, Hezekiah, and Xander thrived on the excitement and adrenaline pulsing through London, and were usually pestering one of the Aurors to take them somewhere new. Kieran, Xavier and Hawthorne were more comfortable ensconced in a old pub in the smaller towns outside the city, when they weren't tramping over some muddy field as Hawthorne delivered enthusiastic lectures on King Arthur and the Roman Hypothesis or the Giants' War that resulted in so many Dementors being unleashed that it ushered in what became known as the Little Ice Age. Daisy and Joshua were usually found on the roof of Grimmauld Place. Having been taken one at a time to various wand makers all over the country, so as not to generate suspicion, every American witch or wizard was now the proud owner of their very own wand. The two would devour books and practice wand movements over and over, all with the goal of restoring the old greenhouse and preparing it for spring planting. Jane scoured both Muggle and wizarding grocers, looking for spices and unusual ingredients that hadn't been available on the reservation, and then proceeded to cook enough food at each meal to feed all the werewolves, the Order, and have some left over besides.

Now that their correspondence was no longer censored by MCUSA, Oscar had determined that it was time his adopted children took up their places within the Rodriguez Silver Corporation. One by one, the kids tried their best to understand the enterprise run by a veritable army of relations and underlings both in Peru and around the globe. Joshua was fully competent, but completely uninterested. His own dreams rested solely in owning a small plot of land with Daisy beside him. Daisy found herself unable to focus on anything Oscar asked of her related to the company unless it was cautionary remarks on greed and employee welfare. Isabel didn't even bother, reminding them that she was hopeless at anything that wasn't music. Catherine was a quick study, good at picking up details in contracts that were easily overlooked, and didn't mind helping, but found it all very boring. So in the end it was left up to Gareth. From the time the children were first thrown together under Voldemort's rule the young man had taken up the role of eldest brother; becoming their spokesperson, leader and defender. Now he suspected Oscar was trying to groom them not only for potential employment, but as heirs to an empire, and so he gamely spent hours pouring over mining data and Goblin manufacturing contracts. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that he not only found it all fascinating, but was rather gifted in seeing how details wove into the big picture. In the between time, Rosa, who had trained and served as Oscar's personal bodyguard before he married her, began intentionally working with the newly wanded witches and wizards on their defensive spells that had been only rarely practiced back home.

Artemis and Catherine were the two that found themselves just a bit out of sorts with the new lifestyle. As a squib, for the first time, Catherine really felt the separation between magic and non-magic users. Back home it wasn't quite as obvious. There were so few wands to go around, that even the ones that could use magic didn't get in a lot of practice time. But here, that was all they seemed to focus on. And with all that magic could do, there were no longer people calling across the yard for help with something or a group of them working on a project together. Catherine felt just a little unnecessary. And Artemis was feeling about the same. She wasn't here to analyze intel and report back to MCUSA, she couldn't go out on missions for the Order, she wasn't needed in the kitchen since Jane was so excited about cooking with magic again, and with the house so full there wasn't a dedicated nursery space to work on. Frankly, if someone told her one more time to just sit back and rest, because soon she would be awake all hours with a baby, she just might scream or throw something, or scream while she threw something.

* * *

At the other end of the country, Lina and Sirius had finally, after days of hunting, discovered the werewolves new encampment. The process was exhausting. They had drawn a grid over a map of Scotland, and were systematically working their way through the most likely forested areas, close enough to towns that some of the people could find jobs nearby.

Having located the camp, the pair was pacing around outside the magical barrier the pack had constructed. Like the American reservation, they had marked the entrance, and the two animagi had zeroed in on it quickly once they were within a few miles of the scent. The pair paused their pacing as a young red-haired woman came up to the entrance.

"Hiya!" she said cheerfully. "Are you new?"

Sirius put on his most charming smile. "We're looking for a friend of ours, and think he might be staying with you. His name's Remus."

"Oh, sure, he's here. Wow. It's really unusual for anybody to have friends visit. I don't think I've ever heard of that happening. I'm Deirdre. I'm not sure how you get in if you're not a werewolf. I'll fetch Alec and see what he says." With that, the girl vanished from sight as she passed through the barrier.

She popped back through a minute later, a large and tough looking older man hot on her heels. "Here now, what's going on? Who are you people?" Alec asked savagely, edging between them and Deirdre.

"We aren't here to cause trouble," said Lina quickly. "We just came to talk to Remus Lupin."

"I won't have any of your war mongering and top secret assignations going on here," said Alec. "You have business with him you take care of it away from my pack."

"Is it about the war?" asked Deirdre curiously. "You said you were friends."

"We're just here as his friends," said Sirius, holding out his hands in a gesture of surrender. "It's something of a personal nature, and we need him to come back home with us."

"He could use some friends," said Deirdre. "He's been quite a mess without his mate. And he won't try to claim anyone else."

"We actually were able to get his mate back," said Lina, sensing an opening. "But there was…a bit of a misunderstanding, and he came here before he could talk to her."

"Well, that's good news," said Alec, losing his challenging posture somewhat. He furrowed his brows for a moment, before nodding. "I'll let you come talk to him, but you keep away from the others." Pulling out a wand, he recanted the protective spells, and waved the pair into the encampment. "His tent's right back there. And you can tell him that he's welcome to stay here with his mate if he wants."

Lina and Sirius thanked them and made their way to Remus' small tent on the fringes of the encampment. Lina threw open the flap without ceremony and entered, her stern face the first thing Remus saw as he turned around.

"How did you find me?" His voice was resigned and bitter.

Lina looked insulted. "Really, Lupin? You've seen me work. Don't underestimate me."

"But why did you come here? You could jeopardize my work with the pack."

"You've done what you came here to do, and they aren't having it. Enough. We're bringing you home. You need to talk with Artemis."

"She made her choice. There's nothing to talk about," Remus said dully, sinking into the armchair.

"Oh for the love of Merlin!" Sirius burst out. "Moony, you should at least be man enough to face the mother of your child. We have manipulated and lied to two of the most powerful politicians in the world, kept secrets from Dumbledore, and broken who knows how many laws trying to get the two of you back together. It's absolutely ridiculous that…"

"My child?" interrupted Remus, his eyes wide with shock.

Lina sucked in a breath. "Of course it's your child, you git! What do you take her for?!" she shouted, grabbing up a small cushion and hitting him in the face with it.

Remus held up his hands defensively. "How…when?!"

"Karaoke night," said Sirius cheerfully, grinning at him smugly. "I told you that you carried her away to ravish her senseless, but did you believe me? Noooo…"

"Shut it, Black," snapped Lina.

"But…packs don't let females remain…unclaimed. It's too dangerous," stammered Remus. "And…and it's been long enough that…well, I thought she was with one of them."

"Even assuming she's that fickle, you don't think she would have had the decency to tell you if that happened?" Lina hissed at him. "She loves you, and has been waiting for you for months. She was prepared to wait five years! You knock her up and then storm out on her…"

"I didn't know we slept together!" Remus shouted back at her. "She refused to talk about it! And I…I was afraid to find out," he admitted softly.

"Well now you know," said Lina bitterly. "So what are you going to do about it?"

Sirius sighed. "Vixen, can you give us a minute?" Lina glared at him, but left the tent.

Sirius paced around the room for a moment before lying down on the floor, and gazing up at the ceiling. Remus rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair. "I know you always thought I cared about James more than I did you," Sirius began conversationally. "That we were really best friends, and you were just an extra best friend. Not quite true, by the way, if there even is such a thing. You were really my first friend. At least, in my head you always were. You were the first lad to talk to me on the train; the first Gryffindor to shake my hand after we got sorted. Did you know that? I was a "B" and I had to wait through to the "Ls" before anyone shook my hand, because none of the older students wanted to associate with a Black. Even James wouldn't talk to me at first. I let you think he was my closer friend because I always felt like you were ever so slightly disappointed in me.

I felt pulled in two directions sometimes. You acted like I could be more than I ever thought possible if I simply applied myself. And James…" Sirius paused to clear his throat, "James acted like I could be anything I wanted to be because that was simply how his world worked. You and I, Moony, we were the only ones who knew how much life could let you down. James and Peter were spoiled rotten. They had parents who thought the world of them and had no reason to be wary of things that seemed too good to be true. Whereas we…we knew what it was to go home for holidays where there was always an undercurrent of disappointment, because life had dealt us a hand we didn't want.

If it takes until my last breath, I will never stop telling you how sorry I am for doubting you all those years ago. But…it was partly because I would have understood. I would have understood someone coming and telling you how things could be better for you, and you wanting to take that chance. Because your situation was so damned unfair. And I realized later that if it had just been about you, maybe that would have been true. But you never would have taken a chance at the expense of your friends. That was the part I forgot. And I think right now maybe you've forgotten it too. Just like Voldemort was urging Peter to betray us, there is a voice urging you to give up. Because fighting so long and caring so much hurts. And the one time you fall head over heels in love, it seems like all it's brought you is more hurt. But I need you to not give up, Moony. Because if you give up now, it will be the same as Pete choosing Voldemort. You'll be doing it at the expense of your friends, more than friends, your family. There is a little girl back in London waiting to be born who will grow up without a father, just like Harry did. And there is a woman who has given up everything she ever knew for you. And I…I couldn't bear to lose you again. You're the only one who really knows me."

Remus exhaled slowly. "That was quite a speech, Padfoot."

"I've had some time to put it together. You haven't been around much."

Remus shook his head. "I'm not sure I can be a dad, Sirius. How can I trust myself around a child when I've hurt you every full moon for the past how many months? And now your house is full of werewolves? How can you allow that? We can't go through that every month. It's clearly not safe."

"Maybe sometimes the right thing isn't the safe thing." Sirius took a deep breath. "Remus, your daughter is a werewolf. And she is going to need you."

Remus felt his veins turn to ice at Sirius' words. His heart felt so tightly gripped with fear that he started to shake. A werewolf - exactly what he'd been trying to avoid. How was that even possible? How would an infant survive the painful transformations, her bones breaking and reforming over and over again? "Then she would be better off dead," he muttered, almost to himself. "It's an abnormality…a curse, and Artemis should have terminated the pregnancy immediately rather than ruin her own life and sentence a child to such an existence. It's the worst kind of selfishness."

Sirius sat up abruptly. "How…how can you say that? That argument would apply to all werewolves. What's the difference if she's born yet or not? We should just start killing off all of you, then?"

"Sometimes I wish they would," replied Remus dully.

Sirius stood to his feet, his hand shaking, clenched around his wand. "Why?" he ground out. "Because your life is hard, and sometimes inconvenient for people? Because friends and family shouldn't be inconvenienced for someone they love? What about squibs, are they next? It's terribly inconvenient having a child who can't do magic in a wizard family. So many things have to be done for them or done differently to accommodate them. Merlin, Remus, life is messy! Family is supposed to be there anyway."

Remus remained silent, staring at the floor, and Sirius tried to calm down. What was it Daisy had said? He needed to fight the hopelessness and choose life. Sirius took another deep breath and counted backwards from ten before speaking again. "Moony, I know things look very bleak right now. But you have to choose to have some hope. Do you even see what an impact you've had in people's lives? Harry and I both would have fallen to the dementors if you hadn't taken the time to teach him how to cast a Patronus charm. In fact, if you hadn't been such a good teacher, I don't think he could have started up Dumbledore's Army. Harry told me you were his inspiration with that, how you encouraged the students to do more and be better than they thought they could be. If I hadn't become an animagus for you I never would have been able to survive Azkaban, let alone escape. I would have gone mad shut up in that place like so many others. We can't always see how our choices will play out," he continued in a softer voice. "What if your daughter isn't born, and it turns out she was the one that would have discovered a cure for lycanthropy? Or what if it's nothing so dramatic? What if she simply happens to befriend a little boy who never fit in with his family and wasn't sure he'd fit in at school? What if she helped that little boy find his courage because he saw it in her every month?"

Sirius scrubbed a hand over his face. "Moony, is there not any part of you that wants this? For years you never thought a family was an option and now you can have one. So maybe it's not a tall, leggy blonde like you said you always wanted, and maybe there won't be a boy and girl running around the back garden of a little stone cottage with a library that you could afford if you weren't a werewolf...but...damn it, Moony, you are a Gryffindor! If there is just one ounce of courage left in you, please choose to hope!"

Remus lifted his gaze to meet Sirius' intense grey eyes. "Tall leggy blonde?..."

"Prongs' eighteenth birthday. You were sooooo drunk, and you get over emotional and tend to pour out all your feelings when you're drunk."

"Yeah, no. That was you. You kept going on and on about Marlene."

"Oh." Sirius was silent for a moment trying to remember. "Well the rest still applies," he said, waving his hands around. "Are you coming home or not?"

Remus was still for a moment, remembering how relieved he felt when he realized Artemis was there beside him, how lovely she looked in spite of the swollen eyes and tear stained cheeks. He wanted to be with her, badly, but...a child? He frowned suddenly and looked at Sirius. "I've been behaving like a selfish arse, haven't I?"

Sirius shrugged. "A bit, but one of the American's said that when a person is severely depressed, you can't always recognize what's selfish and what's self preservation...that it's taking every ounce of effort in you to just...be."

Remus nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah...yeah, it does sort of feel like that. All right. Let's go home. I can't promise I won't still be a mess, but..."

"Well thank goodness," breathed Sirius. "Lina was in charge of Plan B, and it would have been ugly."

"Speaking of Lina...she's rather a tall leggy blonde, isn't she?"

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! Given the mess that Remus has been the past several months, it didn't seem quite right for everything to just all of a sudden be fine because he and Artemis were in the same house. Guest, there is some more explanation of the warriors coming, so hopefully that will help. It's a little cryptic on purpose. And you're right, the Americans aren't dangerous when they're transformed...well, I mean they still have teeth and claws, but they're in their complete control of their minds. :)


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41 ~ February, 1997

Remus felt the anxiety bubble up as he and Sirius and Lina waited in front of Twelve Grimmauld Place for the scraping of bricks to finish as the house revealed itself. Sirius nudged him lightly with his shoulder. "It's going to be just her at the door," he said quietly. "You can talk to her alone before we deal with the others."

The anxiety was still there, but Remus couldn't deny the feeling of comfort and relief that crashed over him as the door swung open and he inhaled her scent. Sirius and Lina quickly walked through the entryway and into the Dining Room, Sirius giving Artemis a quick wink as they passed and Lina squeezing her hand briefly. The Dining Room door closed with a click as the front door closed again with a heavy thud and they were alone. Remus felt frozen in place, the words of the apology he'd practiced quite forgotten.

"So…" Artemis began, stepping towards him.

"I'm sorry!" he blurted out awkwardly, his face flushing. "I…um…it was a terrible night, and…I made some assumptions…but I was wrong, and I've been a bloody awful mess with you gone…and," Remus paused and took a deep breath, trying to get his nerves under control. "I'm sorry," he said again in a calmer voice. "Can you ever forgive me for storming out and not listening to you?"

Artemis took another step towards him. Her hand went up slightly as if to take his, but he held himself so stiffly that she dropped it again. "Of course," she said simply. "You're right, it was a pretty terrible night…And I need to apologize too. I shouldn't have kept it all a secret. If I'd been honest with you from the beginning about the night we…well, it maybe wouldn't have all been such a shock."

"I'm a little worried about being here," he added feebly. "With so many other werewolves…Sirius said they're sort of undercover here, but maybe I can find somewhere else to live."

"That's what you offered to do the first morning I was here," Artemis said softly, a sad smile on her face.

"Maybe I should have followed through on it then, kept you out of all this mess," said Remus ruefully, before frowning down at the floor. His hand unconsciously reached out and hovered over her abdomen, before dropping back down to his side.

Artemis grabbed his hand and pulled it towards her, raising her shirt over her swollen belly, she laid his hand on the right side, covering it with her own. _Come on, little one, just one good kick. Let him know you're here._ Her silent plea was rewarded as she felt the baby push hard, and heard Remus suck in a quick breath.

"Sirius said she's…she's a werewolf," he said, not aware his thumb was gently rubbing her skin where he'd felt the pressure of a foot or fist against his hand. "How…how did you find that out?"

Artemis tried to focus on the question and not his touch, even as she moved closer to him. "Um, I've felt her transform, during the last two full moons."

Remus pulled his hand away, frowning again. "I don't understand that. She should have torn you apart if she was transformed," he said, clearly disturbed by the thought.

"That's kind of a long story," Artemis began, biting her lip.

"Oi, you two, get in here," called Sirius from the doorway of the Dining Room. "Meeting's going to start."

Smiling a little shyly at him, Artemis took Remus' hand again and pulled him towards the Dining Room. Remus hesitated at the doorway. The room was crammed full, and he wasn't entirely sure which of the new people he might have attacked the month before. As he stood there awkwardly, a well-muscled man with a shaved head shot him a funny look before rising from his own chair and coming over to help Artemis pull out a chair and sit down.

"I'm not an old lady, Xander," she muttered.

"Nope, but you sure move like one," he retorted, ruffling her hair as he went back to his own chair.

"Mr. Lupin, if you will so kindly take a seat, I believe Mr. Shacklebolt was just about to enlighten us all on this very daring and highly secretive plan to recruit some American volunteers."

There was an uncustomary edge to Dumbledore's voice, and it slowly dawned on the other Order members present that Kingsley had truly gone out on his own with this plan. But he showed not the slightest qualm or concern as he stood from his chair to address the group. "It has become clear to me over the last several months that despite Remus' best efforts, the werewolf pack has not become inclined to either join our cause or commit to resisting Voldemort. Coupled with that was the intel brought to us that Voldemort was in fact beginning the process of intentionally creating his own werewolf army. Some of you may not be aware that this was also done in the last war, and a few of the people sitting before you today are the result. When we reached out to them, they, and their pack, agreed to fight with us. For other reasons that I am not yet at liberty to disclose, absolute secrecy was necessary until they had arrived securely here at Headquarters."

Dumbledore's face was impassive, though his eyes flicked curiously over the Americans when Kingsley mentioned other reasons. "Well, then, perhaps you could each introduce yourselves, and then we can discuss how to best utilize your particular skills."

Everyone went around the table stating their names, and Dumbledore nodded resignedly. "Since our numbers have now doubled, it would appear that Mr. Shacklebolt's plan to recruit American volunteers has proven thus far successful. We shall hold off judgement on their efficacy at the present time. Now, is there any other new business?"

Gareth hesitated before raising his hand. He darted a glance at Joshua who gave him a single nod in response. "When we first arrived, it seemed like…well, it seemed like Mr. Moody and Mr. Black reacted differently to…well to me and Josh. I just wanted to say that we don't have any loyalty towards the Death Eaters, even if some of them happen to be related to us. We're on your side one hundred percent."

The other young people nodded in agreement. Moody's face may have twitched towards a smile, but it was hard to tell. Sirius looked a little sad. "We weren't worried about your loyalty," he said finally. "It just caught us off guard a little. The paperwork we had listed you all with the same last name. We knew what happened to you, we just didn't know which families you came from, and you, in particular, look very much like…him."

"My…my father?" asked Gareth. Sirius nodded.

"Did you know all of our parents?" asked Isabel, frowning. "Ellie said the rest of your family supported Voldemort."

"Well, I don't know your real names, so I can't be sure. This lad here, just happens to be almost a duplicate of his father, and I…he…"

"I'm Gareth Travers. And my father…you fought him, in the last war?" asked Gareth. He looked embarrassed, and Sirius nodded slowly.

"It just took me by surprise. Travers…he killed someone who was very dear to me. But his choices are not your fault," Sirius said sternly. "I of all people understand that one can't be judged by their family."

"Do you know the rest of us?" asked Catherine curiously. "Isabel and I were Rosiers. Joshua's last name was Wilkes, and Daisy was a Parkinson."

Moody let out a harsh sound that could have been a laugh. "Wilkes took half my nose," he said, gesturing toward his scarred face. "But I uh…I killed him in the last war…and I'm not sorry about it," he finished gruffly.

Joshua sat up a little straighter. "He made his choice. We're here to make ours."

"I don't know much about the Parkinsons, but there are many families who supported Voldemort without coming right out and joining the Death Eaters," Moody said, his magical eye rolling towards Daisy.

Daisy looked a little disappointed, but nodded. Joshua took her hand under the table, and squeezed it in sympathy.

"The Rosiers were regular dinner guests here growing up," offered Sirius. "Evan was several years ahead of me at school, and I think I remember hearing that he married a French woman. Umm, but he was killed in the last war as well. I'm not sure about your mother."

"Doesn't matter to me," said Isabel shrugging.

"I think…I think that was why they gave us up," said Catherine softly. "I sort of remember a woman who was very upset, and a man who I didn't see around anymore…It really is all right," she hastened to add. "I don't think we would have had a very nice life anyway. I'm a squib. And Isabel…Izzy's a little too opinionated to settle well in a strict family," she finished with a rueful smile.

Isabel lifted her chin proudly, and Sirius smiled at her. "A kindred spirit then."

Molly Weasley shifted a little in her chair, and Rosa looked down the table to see her trying to keep the anger off her face. "You understand," she said nodding. "You are… _Cómo se dice indignado?_ " she said, turning towards Oscar.

"Indignant," offered Oscar, nodding in agreement.

" _Sí_ , indignant. You are a _mamá_ , and you know it is not right what happened to the children. This evil must be stopped."

"That, madame, is precisely our goal," said Dumbledore finally. "Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix."

* * *

After the meeting broke up, the Order was still uncertain as to how to best utilize the Americans. Most agreed to at least train the magic users in defense, and possibly allow them to eventually go out as backup on some missions. Although there was still the issue of none of them knowing the first thing about navigating the British Isles, not to mention their clothing and accents made it impossible for them blend in easily. Raising the issue of some of them being Muggles was met with stony silence by the werewolves. _Of course they mustn't think it's prejudice, of course not! One of the goals of the Order was to protect Muggles, and really it's so very brave of you to volunteer, but…what do you think you can do exactly?_ The other werewolves could sense Kieran's displeasure roll off him in waves at the condescending smiles. Xavier caught Lina's eye and her brow quirked up in a challenge, her smile more amused. "I guess we'll just have to find a way to make ourselves useful then," he said, in his soft drawl, raising his own eyebrow at her. Artemis caught Sirius frowning at the interaction and hid a smile. Isabel rolled her own eyes as she caught Catherine's matching frown.

"How about some lunch?" offered Jane hurriedly.

"Lovely idea, dear. I'll help you," said Molly Weasley, standing quickly to her feet. The rest wandered off in small groups, Isabel pulling the other girls toward up to the Drawing Room saying they'd been slacking off on practicing. Gareth and Joshua followed after them slowly, caught up in a conversation with the Weasley Twins, and inviting them to come along and listen to them rehearse until lunch was ready. The younger people chatted together easily, and quite forgot about practicing anything until Hawthorne poked his head in the room and informed them that the food was ready.

* * *

Remus had sat silently throughout the meeting, still trying to reconcile everything in his mind. He studied each of the Americans intently, wondering which one he had tangled with. It was most likely the biggest one, he finally decided. Their Alpha, who had also remained silent through the meeting, almost bordering on brooding. As everyone left the room he made his way over to the large, dark haired man. "I'm Remus Lupin," he said, the brief thought flashing through his mind that at least he was tall enough to look the American in the eye, "and I wanted to apologize for what happened last month. I'm usually much more careful to avoid all other werewolves."

The other man's dark, piercing eyes narrowed at him, clearly sizing him up, and Remus swallowed uneasily. Then the man smiled broadly and held out his hand. "Kieran Walsh," he said. "And I hope it doesn't mean you'll continue to try and avoid us. And don't worry about what happened. You got Xavier pretty good," he stuck his thumb out to indicate the red-head beside him, who pulled the collar of his shirt down a little to show off the scar running down his neck, "but he doesn't hold a grudge. Overall I think it went better than I would have anticipated given the circumstances. I have to admit I'd always wondered if I could take another werewolf in a traditional fight, and I don't think I came off too badly."

His smile turned a little smug at this last statement and the man with the shaved head who had helped Artemis with her chair snorted in amusement. "Yeah, Kieran, you're a regular gladiator. Me and Xavier are the only ones who spent any time with a more traditional pack," he added, addressing Remus, "I don't envy you the job you've had."

Remus was shocked for a moment to be standing there having a perfectly reasonable conversation with the very men he'd attacked. And the way they treated their Alpha was more than a little odd. No one, except for maybe Circe or Deirdre, would have dared tease Alec about a challenge. And if he'd injured the red-head, but been taken down by Kieran, did that mean Xavier had stepped in to defend the Alpha? That wouldn't ever happen. Full moons were very much an 'every man for himself' affair. What had he meant by traditional pack? Before he could respond to try and clarify things, he felt a small, soft hand slip into this own. He looked down in surprise to see Artemis looking up at him. "I think we should talk," she said, smiling, but her eyes were serious. He nodded, and felt a large hand clap him on the shoulder. Looking back at Kieran, Remus was surprised to see the man wink at him.

Artemis led him upstairs, and after a moment's hesitation, into Sirius' studio. The winter sun shone brightly through the large windows, and Artemis went straight to an armchair in front of the window. She tried to slowly lower herself into it, plopping down in surprise as it was lower than she was expecting. "I'm going to need help getting out of this later," she giggled. Remus was still standing a little uncertainly in the middle of the room. "Neutral territory," she said, waving her hands around. "Pull up a chair."

Remus grabbed a straight backed wooden chair from against the far wall and brought it over to the window. He sat stiffly, as though he were a child awaiting a scolding, and Artemis sighed at his guilty expression. "So that meeting was a little tense," she said said, shifting a little in the chair as though she couldn't quite get comfortable. "We've had two meetings since I got back, but this was the first time Dumbledore has attended with the other Americans. Apparently Kingsley was really keeping everything hush hush…How, uh…how have you been?" she asked lightly.

A disbelieving huff escaped his lips, and he leaned back in the chair, letting his body relax for the first time all day. "Dreadful," he stated firmly, nodding to himself. "Abso-bloody-lutely awful." And then, whether it was because his wolf felt content for the first time in months, or he was just so unbelievably tired of pretending, the words started to tumble over themselves in a rush. "I didn't intend to claim you, or have you claim me, or whatever happened that night. But the truth is, I'm a little glad it happened. I don't think I ever would have had to courage to tell you how I felt. This way, the wolf apparently decided before I did, and has spent the last eight months convincing me to finally face my feelings. Don't misunderstand, I never would have chosen this," he added, frowning briefly, and waving his hand in a way that seemed to encompass everything about her.

Artemis raised her eyebrows and stayed silent, not sure if she should be offended by that or not. "And I still don't understand how you're able to carry a werewolf," he continued, "and I still think it's horrific to imagine a baby trying to endure what I experience each month, but…" Remus leaned forward and held her gaze, his eyes looking so tired and sad and earnest, "without you here I would just give up. I almost did," he amended, shuddering slightly. "And so I'm…willing…to try to make this work…whatever this this," he said, waving his hand around again. "I love you," he stated simply, sitting back in the chair and letting out a deep sigh. "I was a fool to not tell you before, but I thought it would…protect you somehow. And since you seem bound and determined to throw your lot in with werewolves no matter where you are or what you're doing, I would rather that be with me than someone else." That last statement was said with a small sheepish grin, and made him appear very young and boyish for a moment.

Artemis stayed silent, sifting through everything he said. Over the last six months she'd lost her fear of being a single mother. The strange reality was that she had her own pack now, and she was determined not to force Remus into anything just for the sake of the child. He said he was willing, he even said he loved her, but… "Is this only because of the claiming?" she asked abruptly, scrunching up her face a little. "I mean…if the wolf wasn't so drawn to me would you still feel this way? Can you even tell something like that, or does claiming override everything else?"

A quick prick of disappointment struck his chest at her words. Her question was reasonable, and certainly understandable given how he'd behaved, but no man would particularly enjoy making a declaration of love only to be instantly grilled on whether or not he'd really meant it. Remus cleared his throat. "Uh, I would have to say that the claiming made it extremely difficult to be apart from you, but claiming doesn't really have much to do with love. I, uh…I could have claimed someone else, when I realized what was happening, and it would have made things easier on me, but…I only wanted you," he said softly. "I love you," he said again, emphasizing every word. "The werewolf has nothing to do with that. The claiming only shoved the fact into my face and forced me to acknowledge it."

Artemis nodded in understanding. "I love you too," she whispered, smiling shyly up at him. "I uh, I know that doesn't fix everything and I think we should take whatever this is slowly because there's so many strange components to it, but…I love you. And I don't want you to feel like you need to leave."

As if potions were coursing through him, or he'd been hit by a strange charm, he felt suddenly too warm and his ears were buzzing. He shook his head to try and get himself together and noticed Artemis struggling to rise from the armchair. He shoved his chair back and moved quickly to her side. Wrapping his arm around her back, he helped her stand and steadied her. Artemis huffed a small laugh at herself and pushed her hair out of her face. "Nothing like falling for a girl and then finding out she turns into a walrus," she remarked, shaking her head.

Remus smiled and very gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You are quite the loveliest walrus I've ever met," he said in a low voice, letting his hand trail down the scars and tattoos on her neck. "You're wearing the necklace," he said, sounding pleased, as his fingers met the thin silver chain, tracing it down to the star and moon charms resting on her collarbone. A small sound of surprise escaped her lips and he pulled his hand back. "I'm sorry…" he stammered.

"No, not that. I think…I think my water just broke."

* * *

Ahh! A cliffhanger! Unless you've been counting the months down, and then you knew it was coming pretty soon. ;) Thanks so much to all you lovely people reading and reviewing! Guest, I agree with your previous comment. I don't think Remus would have joined Voldemort in the last war. I think Sirius was trying to justify his own thought process.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42 ~ February, 1997

Remus found himself frozen for a couple heartbeats until the adrenaline kicked in and sent him into an almost panic. "Wha…what do we do?" he gasped.

"I should probably go to my room," Artemis said slowly, looking at him with concern. "Remus, everything is fine. Don't worry."

"Right. Right. Everything's fine," he repeated, still looking at her worriedly.

"Ok then. I'll go up to my room, and you can go get Ellie."

"Ellie…right. Which one is Ellie?"

"Brown hair, Irish, probably in the kitchen and has a little boy with her. She's a Healer."

"Healer. Good, good." He darted toward the door, and then instantly turned back. "Are you certain you're all right?"

"Go!" Artemis laughed. "I will just slowly and carefully head to my room, ok? If you hurry, you'll probably beat me there."

Remus turned and ran down the stairs, calling for Sirius. Artemis shook her head and began walking, or more waddling out of the room. She wrinkled her nose as the dampness seeped down her legs. Starting up the stairs to the next floor where her room was, a contraction hit, pulling a surprised cry from her as she grasped at the stair rail.

"Are you all right?!" cried Lina, running up the stairs to her.

Artemis nodded as her muscles relaxed. "Baby…"

"Do you want me to get Ellie?"

"Remus is getting her. Just…help me upstairs, please."

Lina whipped out her wand, casting a levitation charm, and Artemis groaned as she felt herself begin floating up the stairs. "I hate you just a little bit right now," she muttered.

"Why? I'm helping. You shouldn't have to climb the stairs in your condition."

"This is embarrassing. I don't want people to see me like this."

"Well, no one's here, so don't…ok, actually lots of people are coming up the stairs now, but it's fine."

"You couldn't have conjured a stretcher or something first, so I'm not dangling in midair like some kind of marionette?"

"It'll be a lot worse for you if I lose concentration because you're arguing about idiotic details."

"How about we walk with you, and catch you if you fall?" asked Xander, coming up beside her with a teasing grin.

Ellie came up behind him and pushed him unceremoniously ahead of her on up the stairs. "Go on with you, now. You're no use here!"

Xander laughed and quickened his pace up the stairs, moving out of the way of the Healer and the still floating Artemis. Lina guided her into the room and deposited her gently onto the bed. Remus entered right behind Ellie and hovered nervously near the head of the bed, not entirely certain as to whether he was welcome here or not.

Ellie shot him an understanding glance. "You're welcome to stay if you keep out of the way. Lina, would you please find Catherine? I've been training her to assist. I believe she was in the drawing room."

"Didn't she say she was a squib?" asked Lina, looking puzzled.

Ellie while clearing off the desk and bedside table before using a quick disinfecting spell over all the surfaces, made a strange face. "I don't exactly need someone who's only just got their own wand waving it all around a new mother and baby. Catherine's perfectly capable of doing what I need, and isn't overly excitable. Pity really," she went on, half to herself, "she's got just the temperament for a Healer."

Lina ducked out of the room, and Ellie turned her attention to Artemis. She moved her wand over her body slowly, murmuring diagnostic spells. Catherine entered a scant minute later and gave Artemis and Remus an apprehensive smile. With Ellie directing, the two quickly removed Artemis' soaked clothing and got her settled more comfortably in the bed. Just as they finished, another contraction came. Ellie alternated between watching the seconds tick by on a small watch she wore pinned to her cloak, and watching her wand glowing with that faint pink light as it hovered over the baby.

"Right then" said Ellie briskly. "Early labor still. That was about ten minutes after your first one. This part's the longest and most boring," she gave Artemis an apologetic smile. "So try to take a nap or maybe read a book while we wait for things to progress. I'll have you up to walk around in a bit."

After the initial excitement of realizing the baby would probably be born in the next twenty-four hours, Artemis quickly realized the waiting was indeed boring. After eating the light lunch that Jane brought up, Artemis asked Remus to fill her in on what he had been doing during the past eight months. She'd heard about the events at the Ministry from Sirius and Lina, but wanted to hear his version, as well as his work with the British werewolves. As they had earlier, the words simply poured out of him. Remus talked more over the next two hours than he thought he probably had the entire time she'd been gone. As the flood of conversation began to slow, he noticed she was starting to look a little weary, and insisted she try to sleep. As she covered her mouth with a hand through a huge yawn, she nodded and shifted down onto her side. Artemis dozed on and off over the next few hours between the mild contractions. People came by to visit in ones and twos, through dinner and the evening, keeping her company as she was allowed out of bed to pace slowly back and forth through the room and landing. As the clock ticked on through the night, the contractions moved from ten to eight to five minutes apart.

* * *

Ellie had come in to sit with her just after sunrise, while Remus had nipped downstairs for a cup of tea. Waking with a hiss of pain, Artemis clenched her teeth through the most recent contraction, gripping the edge of the bed covers. "Well then," said Ellie. "Things are moving on quite well…" her voice dipped a little at the end as she noticed the light of her wand flutter. Artemis had her eyes closed until the contraction eased, and didn't notice Ellie's quick frown. "Here, let's shift you to your other side for the next one," she said, giving no indication that anything was amiss. Five minutes later another equally strong contraction came, and again Artemis had her eyes screwed shut, missing the pink light from Ellie's wand flicker several times.

"It won't be long now, love," said Ellie, patting her arm. "I'll just fetch Remus and be right back." Artemis nodded, letting out a long breath.

A couple minutes later, Remus was back, and pulled his chair as close as possible to the side of the bed. Artemis' hand grabbed for his greedily. "Ellie says it won't be much longer," he said gently, brushing her hair back from her face with his free hand and then rubbing small circles on the small of her back soothingly.

Down two flights of stairs, Ellie was speaking grimly with a group of exhausted soon-to-be honorary aunts and uncles. "The baby's in distress," she said. "Her heartbeat isn't returning to normal as the contractions end. Normally I'd send her to hospital, but that isn't really an option since Artemis is supposedly still imprisoned in America."

"Can you do anything? What about a C-Section?" asked Kieran, frowning.

Ellie looked puzzled. "I don't know what that is. We could do an surgical abdominal delivery, but I don't have the potion for a comprehensive pain block.'

"Can we go get it for you?" asked Lina, looking ready to bolt out the door.

Shaking her head frustratedly, Ellie huffed out a breath. "You can't buy it ahead. It has to be brewed fresh. Typically hospitals have potioneers on staff to handle them. Even if we could get the ingredients, I don't know it well enough to make it myself…"

The next second, Sirius was out the front door, and a loud crack indicated he had disapparated. "Bloody Gryffindors!" Lina growled as she darted after him. Taking what she hoped was an educated guess, she disapparated as well, landing hard outside the gates of Hogwarts. Glancing around and finding no sign of Sirius, she transformed into her fox and took off running towards the castle.

Sirius meanwhile was merely putting seven years of marauding to use. He apparated behind Honeydukes, and as they weren't yet open, broke a window into the cellar and made his way down the trapdoor and through the secret passageway into the castle. Breakfast was just beginning, and Sirius took a wild chance that not everyone would have made it there yet. Employing everything he remembered of the secret passages, handy broom closets and conveniently placed statues and suits of armor, he managed to avoid being spotted by anyone as he descended into the lower level of the castle, ending up at Snape's office door and pounding on it urgently.

"Come," called a cold voice from behind the door.

Sirius took a deep breath and pushed the heavy door open. When he saw who it was, Severus was instantly on his feet, wand in hand. "Come to assault me in my own sanctum, Black?" he sneered.

Holding his empty hands out in a gesture of surrender, Sirius shook his head. "I need your help," he said quietly, trying not to listen to years of animosity rising up in him at the man's tone of voice.

"And what could the disgraced son of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black need of me?" His voice was an odd mix of scorn and curiosity. "Is it not enough that I'm at the beck and call of your half-breed friend each month?"

Sirius gritted his teeth and swallowed his anger and pride. If Remus could come to this infuriating greasy-haired pillock on Sirius' behalf, then he could do this. "It's about Artemis."

Severus hesitated before lowing his wand. "What about her?"

"She's back."

Snape's eyes glittered with contempt. "I know that, you mangy cur. She's been at the last two Order meetings with her pack of baying hounds."

Sirius was momentarily taken aback. He'd forgotten he and Lina had missed a couple meetings out searching for Remus. "Right. There was another meeting yesterday…"

Snape glared at him. "Unlike you, who is living so nicely off your inheritance, I happen to work for a living. Order or no, I still am responsible for instructing the vapid minds that wander these hallways, and couldn't attend yesterday."

It took another deep breath with his eyes closed before Sirius felt like he could refrain from punching the other man right in his hooked nose. "Since you have seen her, you are obviously aware that she's expecting a baby," he continued in a tight voice. "After the meeting yesterday she went into labor, but it's not going well, and the Healer thinks she'll need to surgically deliver the baby."

Severus dropped his defensive posture by a fraction, frowning at Black's words. Emboldened by his silence, Sirius continued, "The potion to block the pain has to be freshly made. Can you do it?…Please…"

As he stood there staring in silence, Sirius grew desperate. "Severus, please. I know you hate me, and I even admit it's with good reason, but I also know you are fond of her…I…I know she reminds you of Reggie. She does me as well. Miraculous really, how she sort of helped me get some closure with him. He turned on Voldemort you know. My house elf told me, Reggie tried to fix some dark magic he'd helped with and it got him killed. Could you…for Reggie's sake if not hers? He was your friend, even stood up for you against me…" Snape remained silent through the babbling, staring at Black with an inscrutable expression.

Feeling defeated, Sirius turned to leave. "There are many things I would change if I could," he muttered lowly, opening the door.

"Wait," came the cold voice behind him. Sirius turned back. "I'll come." With a great swish of his black robes, Snape quickly moved to a cabinet on the wall and began grabbing vials and jars. Sirius was standing there, properly gobsmacked that Snape had agreed, when Lina and Professor McGonagall hurried up to the open office door.

"You couldn't have taken thirty seconds to discuss a plan?" remarked Lina flatly. Severus turned at the sound and gave the two women a brief nod. "Hello, Sir," Lina said, leaning against the doorframe. Sirius raised his eyebrows. "He was my Head of House," she said, giving Black's ankle a light kick.

"I'll just leave them with you then, Severus," Professor McGonagall stated. She turned to leave and patted Sirius lightly on the arm. "Give them my best, Mr. Black. I'm glad your errand here was successful," she murmured low enough for only him to hear. Sirius nodded and tried to smile, suddenly overwhelmed with the fear that maybe this errand was taking far too long to be of any use. He and Lina waited just inside the door for close to twenty minutes, him fighting the urge to pace while she leaned casually against the wall, her face completely blank. The cauldron in the corner bubbled away and Severus watched it with a glowering intensity, muttering to himself as he stirred, glancing periodically back to an open potions book on the counter.

Finally Snape snatched up a ladle and meticulously poured the noxious green liquid into several crystal vials, stoppering them and stashing them away in a deep pocket of his robe. "How would you like us to exit the castle, Sir?" Lina asked, as she straightened up. Sirius felt a muscle twitch in his eyelid at the faint tone of deference in her voice.

Severus made a face as he looked them over. "As entertaining as I'm sure it would be to prowl through the secret passages and empty broom cupboards Black is more than familiar with, I do not intend to skulk around attempting to avoid nosy students. You two may employ your animagus forms, and we shall be walking out the front door."

Lina looked amused, and that plus Snape's derisive tone had Sirius gritting his teeth and reminding himself why they were there in the first place. "And just how are you planning to respond to questions about you leaving with a ruddy great dog and a fox trailing after you?" he snapped.

Snape ignored him and stalked out of the office. Allowing a half smile to cross her face, Lina transformed and indicated with her head that she was waiting for Sirius. He sighed and transformed as well. With Lina trotting quickly beside his long-legged stride, the two of them followed after Severus' black robes up from the lower levels. Sirius' question was answered when they ran into Harry and Hermione just entering the Great Hall for their breakfast. "P…Professor? Is everything quite all right?" asked Hermione tentatively, while Harry stood there gaping.

Madame Pomfrey chose that moment to cross their path as well. "Good morning, Professor," she said, eyes widening at his two furry companions.

"Ah, Madame Pomfrey, I was in fact just coming to fetch you. With me, please?" he said severely, tilting his head towards the massive front doors.

"Severus, what on earth…" she began.

"My seventh years will be testing poisons and antidotes on these two later," he answered with a malicious smile.

Hermione gasped and Harry glared at him. The black dog started to growl, and then broke off as the fox nipped his leg. The fox then turned towards the students and winked. Hermione slowly pulled Harry away from the strange group towards the Great Hall. Harry kept looking back to the dog completely befuddled, until the dog jerked his own head towards the Great Hall, huffed as though to urge him on, and continued following Snape towards the door.

Once outside, Severus explained the situation to Madame Pomfrey as they walked quickly to the border of the school grounds. "Poor girl," she clucked, trying to keep up with his long strides. Just past the gate, Sirius and Lina transformed back and the four of them disapparated.

As they barged in through the front door, the group waiting in the entryway looked up eagerly. "Where?" snapped Severus, ignoring them completely.

"Two floors up, first door on the left," answered Lina, dashing up the stairs in front of him. Severus followed just as quickly, and Madame Pomfrey trailed behind, puffing a little in exertion.

Sirius stood at the base of the stairs watching them, before turning to the expectant werewolves. "Madame Pomfrey is the Healer from Hogwarts. I think you've met Snape at Order meetings. He's the most infuriating man alive, but...he's also an incomparable potioneer. They'll take care of everything."

* * *

** Aaaand...you still have to wait for the baby to actually be born. Sorry! Thanks so much for sticking with me! You are all amazing!


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43 ~ February, 1997

It had only been thirty minutes since Sirius and Lina had run out of the house so precipitously, and Artemis' contractions were now coming about three minutes apart. Unfortunately, the baby hadn't dropped, and the contractions, while uncomfortable, weren't helping labor progress in the slightest. The faint pink light had dimmed considerably with the last three contractions, and Ellie had just decided she would have to wing it with a _Stupefy_ and hope Artemis didn't regain consciousness until she was finished delivering the baby.

"Artemis," she began gently. "We have a little bit of a problem."

Just then the door burst open and two very unlikely people swept in. "Wha—? Oh, Sir! Madame Pomfrey!" Ellie exclaimed.

"I'm happy to assist, dear. Professor Snape has the potion," Madame Pomfrey said as Snape produced the vials from his robes with a flourish.

"What is going on?" asked Remus, frowning.

"Mr. Lupin the labor is not progressing as it should. Normally it would be fine to wait it out and let nature take its course, but your baby is experiencing cardiac distress with each contraction. If we wait to deliver she could die. I can deliver the baby surgically through the abdomen, but it requires a fresh potion for the comprehensive pain block. Professor Snape has so kindly brewed one, and brought Madame Pomfrey to help with the delivery," explained Ellie in her soft brogue.

"Then what are you waiting for?" gasped Artemis has another contraction began. "Get on with it!"

Severus caught a strangely distressed and resigned expression cross Lupin's face. _Why does he seem hesitant?_ Although he rarely employed his talents in such a way, and would deny to the grave that he was at all curious, Severus reached out with his mind and brushed lightly against Lupin's, almost pulling away instantly at the jumble of thoughts and feelings swirling around. _Ah, there it is. The child is a werewolf…_ The overwhelming despair and accompanying memories of pain and blood and howls masking the crack of broken bones caused Snape to extract himself in a hurry. He looked to Artemis curled up in the bed, her face shining with sweat, eyes dull from exhaustion. That damned dog was right of course, she did remind him of Regulus. Even now, the way she clenched her teeth against the pain reminded him uncomfortably of the night Regulus had been subjected to the _Cruciatus Curse_ for questioning Voldemort's use of his house elf. Pushing the thoughts away, Severus one at a time uncorked the vial of potion and added the final pinch of powdered dragon's liver, before passing the vial to Catherine, who helped Artemis drink the potions, each vial at a three minute interval.

Ellie and Madame Pomfrey had begun to move about the room, adjusting Artemis' position in the bed and asking Catherine for a large blanket. Snape slipped out the door and down the stairs, intending to head immediately back to Hogwarts, but was waylaid by the large group in the entry hall — well, not as large as it had been on the way in. Lina and Sirius and five of the new Americans were there. Severus had vaguely heard them all introduce themselves at one of the previous Order meetings, but had no intention of trying to remember their names. He probably would have marched straight out the front door ignoring them all if it weren't for Lina's presence. She had been a memorable student, for her sheer audacity if nothing else. That fierce, determined little eleven year old who was always looking over her shoulder and lied like no one he'd ever met before — the only Muggle-born to be sorted into Slytherin in close to a decade. The Sorting Hat was concerned about which house would suit each child best, and it had grown difficult to justify sorting someone into a house whose other members intended to kill them.

Lina stood a little straighter as he approached, and nodded at him respectfully. "Thank you for your help, Sir."

"Miss Laurent," he nodded in return.

"Were we in time?" she asked, her voice a little softer and uncertain.

"I believe so. Madame Pomfrey is an excellent Healer, and I have heard that Miss Macnair, or rather, Mrs. Burke, did quite well for herself at St. Mungo's before her marriage. I should try not to worry."

"Would you like to come down and have some breakfast?" asked a girl with brown hair and a sprinkling of freckles. She seemed strangely familiar, but Severus couldn't quite place it.

"No, I must get back…" he began to respond, but the girl came closer to him, her gaze flicking between studying him curiously and looking at something over his shoulder.

"I think you should stay for breakfast," she replied. She placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned in closer to him. "You are already battle-weary. Harboring unforgiveness is like swallowing poison and expecting your enemy to die," she added in a whisper. As she pulled away Severus saw her eyes were shining happily, and she looked almost approvingly at him. She turned abruptly and disappeared down the stairs to the kitchen, shaking her head and muttering something that sounded like "…enemy…muzzled most of the time…impressive…" to a young man that trailed behind her silently, resembling a dark looming tree.

"You'd best come along then, Sir," said Lina, half smiling in confused amusement. "Everyone usually does what she suggests." She looked over at the Americans teasingly, and the one of them who could rival Black in the sheer quantity of tattoos he sported winked at her in response.

Snape, still unwilling, allowed himself to be shepherded down into the bright noisy kitchen, with the three remaining Americans, leaving Sirius to pace worriedly in the front hall. Lina returned a couple minutes later, presumably after having settled Snape with breakfast and some lupine company. _Probably hating every second of it,_ Sirius thought to himself with a small smirk, as Lina joined him in pacing.

Madame Pomfrey had suspended the large blanket in midair so it draped down at Artemis' chest level, shielding her and Remus from seeing whatever was going to happen with the lower half of her body. By the final vial, Artemis could no longer feel anything happening past the blanket divider. Ellie came and peered intently at her eyes and checked her pulse, before tapping her legs, making sure the potion was taking effect properly.

"Right then," she said briskly. "You'll feel a good bit of pressure, but it won't be too uncomfortable."

"What…what exactly are you going to do?" asked Remus, looking a little pale.

"Not sure you really want to know that, dearie," responded Madame Pomfrey. "If you feel faint just sit down. We can't be dealing with you passing out in the middle of all this."

Artemis smiled tiredly, and squeezed his hand. "It'll be fine. Ellie worked in the surgical ward at St. Mungo's before Finn was born."

Remus, nodded and sat back in his chair, reaching out to brush his knuckles gently down Artemis' cheek. The room became almost too quiet as Ellie went to work, just occasionally murmuring an instruction to Madame Pomfrey. Then there was pressure, higher than Artemis was expecting, and she frowned at little.

"Everything's fine so far," said Ellie. "The baby's still quite high, so Catherine is pushing her down. There we are, I can see the head. Here she comes…Right, Madame Pomfrey, untangle that cord from her neck and clear the airway please. Catherine, a blanket." There was a moment that seemed ages long as they all waited for the hoarse cry of a newborn. Finally she made a little choking sound and began to wail. Remus let out the breath he was holding, and Artemis closed her eyes in relief. "Excellent," said Ellie. "Catherine hold her just here please. We'll leave her attached to the cord for a few minutes until her color is back. Madame Pomfrey, the bowl."

The exhausted and on edge couple behind the blanket wasn't sure what exactly was happening now, and Lina chose that moment to come into the room. "We heard the baby cry, is…Oh what the hell?! It looks like a horror movie in here," she cried.

"Out please. Everything's fine," called Ellie sternly, not even turning to look at them. Sirius was right behind her, and Remus saw his eyes widen at whatever scene was before them, grabbing Lina and pulling her back into the hallway, as the door swung closed again.

"Um, is everything still going well?" Remus asked, not sure he dared to see for himself.

The two Healers chuckled. "Textbook procedure," replied Ellie. "She just happened in as we're dealing with the placenta, and it does rather look as though we've um, disassembled her. We'll reassemble you in a moment, love. Madame Pomfrey, you can cut the cord when we're finished here and show Catherine how to clean up the baby. _Scourgify_ is too harsh a spell for an infant. You have to do it the Muggle way," she explained to the blonde who was tenderly rocking the little girl.

In a few short minutes, Ellie had put Artemis back together, healed the incision, and cleaned everything up. She pulled down the blanket, and Remus was relieved there was nothing left of whatever horror scene Lina and Sirius had witnessed. Ellie raised the head of the mattress, so Artemis was more or less sitting up, and Madame Pomfrey brought her a Strengthening Potion. "After the potions wear off, you'll feel quite sore for a few days, dear. Your muscles have been pulled and stretched pretty severely today. We'll try to get you up to walk later tonight depending on how you're doing."

Catherine then brought a bundle with a fuzz of black hair over, and passed her to Artemis. She caught her breath at the sight, and her fingers danced tentatively over her daughter's face, a pair of soft blue eyes looking back at her. "Go on and talk to her," Ellie urged, smiling happily. "She already knows your voice and your scent. We'll try nursing in a moment, and then she'll probably sleep for a good couple hours. It's a wee bit traumatizing being born."

Ellie shooed Catherine and Madame Pomfrey out to get themselves some breakfast. Artemis shifted the baby, and slowly unwrapped part of the blanket, marveling over her perfect little arms and legs, fingers and toes. She ran her hand over the black hair, and brushed a finger over the little rosebud mouth. "Incredible," she whispered. "All those months, and now there's a whole new little person here. Do you want to hold her?" she asked, turning to Remus. "She has your eyes."

Remus was feeling suddenly nauseous, a host of memories surfacing of another newborn with a shock of black hair, and two parents who never saw him grow up. Then the whispery voice reminded him that the full moon was in a week. Would this tiny fragile being survive? And they were at war. What kind of person brings a child into that kind of world? "I…I can't. I think…I might…be sick…" he stammered and raced suddenly out of the room.

Artemis watched him in shock before turning to Ellie. The glow about her faded as she looked back down at the baby. "Don't you worry, love," said Ellie firmly. "Lots of new dads get a bit squeamish at the birth. He'll be back soon enough. Mr. Black sure won't let him get too far. Now, let's help her get latched on and see if she'll nurse."

* * *

"Beautiful baby girl! Mother's doing great!" Catherine called as she and Madame Pomfrey entered the kitchen. There was a loud whoop in response from the others gathered around the table and she saw the Professor from the school grimace at the noise.

"How's Moony?" asked Sirius, a huge grin stretching his features.

"Looking rather like he might pass out," answered Madame Pomfrey wryly.

"Well, I'm going to congratulate the new father," he said, rising from his seat and heading up the stairs. The others made room for Catherine and Madame Pomfrey at the table and Jane slid them each a strong cup of tea and a full plate of food.

"Has she got a name yet?" Jane asked, as she refilled the tea and coffee pots and took her own seat again at the table.

"Not that I heard," said Catherine shaking her head. "But I might have missed it. It was pretty tense in there."

"You did a lovely job, my girl," proclaimed Madame Pomfrey, patting her arm. "Nerves of steel this one, quick to respond and stayed calm and collected through the whole thing." Catherine blushed prettily at the praise, and Xavier caught himself just before he sighed audibly.

Severus had stayed mostly silent since he entered the kitchen, answering direct questions curtly and clearly not open to engaging in further conversation, but he found himself uncomfortably intrigued by the boisterous group. He had tried legilimency again, but with each one encountered what felt like a shimmery wall, not what a typical occlumens would produce. Something was shielding their minds. He'd been surprised, when debriefing Dumbledore on the earlier Order meetings this month, that the man had had no idea of Black's newest houseguests. He suspected that Lina had convinced Kingsley to keep it quiet, but couldn't guess why. And if he tried legilimency on her she would shut him down but quick. The girl was almost as vigilant as Mad-Eye, he thought with a brief flash of pride. That little blonde Muggle-born had certainly surpassed his expectations; assuredly she was a credit to Slytherin House. _Pity Black seems so attached_ , he thought with a sneer. _She could do far better._ That thought brought back the strange interaction he'd had with the little brunette. _Forgiveness. What ridiculous, sentimental tripe._ Black would never seek it, and he would certainly never offer it. _He destroyed everything!_ Severus thought harshly, before remembering, even after all this time that it wasn't actually Black who had betrayed the Potters to Voldemort, but Pettigrew. He sat back in his chair and rubbed his forehead wearily. It was time for him to head back to the school. "Coming Poppy?" he snapped suddenly, as he shoved his chair back and stalked up the stairs.

"Lovely nosh, my dear," said Madame Pomfrey apologetically, as she too rose. "We really should be getting back. I'm very pleased everything went so smoothly."

* * *

Sirius had found Remus hung over the loo, having lost everything from the night before. "This seems a little backwards," he remarked. "I vaguely recall you hovering over me most of the time whilst I was sick from a night out. Though that scene was a bit gruesome, I'll admit."

Remus sat back against the side of the tub, knees drawn up, and his head resting against his arms, folded over them. "I can't do this," he muttered.

"It's a bit late for that, I'm afraid," said Sirius, dropping down to sit beside his oldest friend. "I know you're afraid of what it means for a baby to be infected and have to transform when she's so small and vulnerable. But there are… what is it?…twelve or fourteen? I can't keep track…other werewolves here who don't seem worried about it. Her mother doesn't seem worried about it. So maybe they know something we don't yet. You've only been here a day, and haven't really talked with any of them."

Remus raised his head. "Artemis said she'd felt the baby transforming the last two full moons." He frowned in confusion. "She should have been ripped apart if she was carrying a fully transformed werewolf."

"When Lina was first with Artemis over there and we were talking through the mirror and the radio, she mentioned something about these werewolves being different, that they were able to control their transformations. Lina said they prayed or something. Maybe whatever they do, your daughter can do too. I've seen them on a full moon and they were completely in control. The transformations were even…smoother somehow. I didn't hear any bones crack and no one acted like they were in pain." Sirius bumped Remus' shoulder with his own. "You promised to stay hopeful."

Remus nodded reluctantly, and Sirius scrambled to his feet, offering the other man a hand up. As they stepped out of the bathroom they almost crashed into Kieran who was standing there with a solemn expression on his face. He pinned Remus with a dark gaze, and Remus had the vaguest flash of an impression that his werewolf was cowering away from the large Alpha.

"You've got a brave girl up there," he rumbled in his deep voice. "She had to come to grips with a baby that she sure hadn't planned on. So do you. I understand that it's overwhelming and not what you wanted, but all of us," he jerked his head to the side indicating the group of werewolves who had come up behind him, "have had to deal with overwhelming circumstances that we didn't want. You don't have to run anymore. We're family. Now come introduce us to your daughter." He added the last bit with a smile, the ageless depths of his eyes lessening somewhat. Remus nodded meekly and led them up into the room.

Kieran caught Jane's eye as she passed him in the hall and it was clear she was trying not to laugh. "You know, for someone who fought so hard not to be considered an Alpha you sure don't have any problem employing the authority when it suits you," she whispered.

"Hmmm…I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse," quoted Hawthorne with a chuckle from behind them. "Perhaps we should call you Caesar?"

Kieran rolled his eyes and shoved him playfully ahead of him into the room. "Just don't stab me in the back," he grumbled.

Artemis held court over the crowded bedroom with a tired smiled. The sleeping baby was passed around and oohed and ahhed over. Remus resumed his seat beside the bed, and tentatively took Artemis' hand, trying to convey an apology for his abrupt departure with his eyes.

"What are you going to call her?" asked Gareth, taking the baby as though he were afraid he'd drop her.

Artemis looked at Remus helplessly. "We haven't really had a chance to talk about it. Remus' mother's name was Hope…" she trailed off at as he looked at her in surprise.

" _Esperanza_ ," murmured Rosa, as she took the baby from Gareth.

"That's the Spanish word for hope," chimed Isabel.

"Esperanza…" repeated Artemis, rolling the word around on her tongue.

Remus caught her eye and shrugged, then seemed to think for a moment and nodded slowly. "It sort of…fits…I think. It's pretty."

"And I'd thought about using Evangeline," said Artemis, smiling at Lina.

Lina looked surprisingly touched. "Wow. That's…wow. You're using my name? That's brilliant. I'll teach her everything I know."

"Please don't," said Artemis, shaking her head.

"Well I'm grateful you didn't try and use another moon name," Sirius piped up, "But you realize Esperanza Evangeline Lupin's initials will be EEL."

Lina grinned wickedly. "Sounds perfect for someone who should be sorted into Slytherin!" and then playfully smacked Sirius when he made a face at her.

Artemis snorted with laughter. "Won't you love her regardless of her House?"

"Yeah, probably," he admitted with a proud grin. "First female Marauder," he crowed, clapping Remus on the shoulder. "What on earth will Minnie think?"

* * *

We finally made it! I hope that was a satisfying read for as long as it took for the story to get here! I think I wrote in a note back in chapter twenty-something that the story was halfway finished...but apparently not! I soooo appreciate each and every one of you for reading, following, reviewing, etc. We're heading into the year of the horcrux hunt, so if you happen to have any ideas on things the werewolves could be doing to participate in the war effort, send me a message! I have some ideas, and with Sirius being alive I think the horcrux storyline is going to change a little, but it's a long time still until the Battle of Hogwarts. (Those scenes, oddly enough, I wrote months and months ago.) Anyway...love you all!


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44 ~ February, 1997

Daisy peeked into the drawing room, amazed to find it empty. She just needed a little bit of time to herself, and practicing seemed like a good way to get it. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at the piano. " _Reducio_ ," she said clearly, watching delightedly as the piano shrank down. Being able to use magic all the time with her very own wand still filled her with intense satisfaction. She opened the cupboard where their instruments were stored, all the size of doll toys. Putting the piano in gently, she removed the instrument she wanted and set it on the floor. " _Engorgio."_

Standing before the strange stringed instrument, Daisy took up a pair of odd shaped sticks and began tapping the strings, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet and humming. She so rarely had a chance to be alone, and while she wasn't quite up to Isabel's caliber of musician, she loved the feeling of the music flowing through and around her, like its own kind of magic. A slight movement off to the side startled her, and she dropped one of the sticks.

"I'm so sorry," said Remus, as he came further into the room. "I was just looking for a place to be alone with my thoughts for a moment, and the music sounded so different, I wanted to see what it was."

Daisy stared at him. She'd been wondering how to get him alone to talk through things without seeming too weird, but it looked like that had been taken care of for her. "Oh! Um, that's fine, Mr. Lupin."

"You can call me Remus," he said, smiling. "What kind of instrument is that?"

"Oh, it's called a hammered dulcimer. It's…well I guess it's a little like an inside out piano. On a piano, when you press the keys, small felt-covered hammers hit the strings inside. On this, I hold the hammers and hit the strings. Here, I'll show you." Daisy began to play a light, folk melody, humming along until she began singing softly.

 _O joy, that seeks me through pain  
_ _I cannot close my heart to thee  
_ _I trace the rainbow through the rain  
_ _And feel the promise is not vain  
_ _That morn shall tearless be_

As she played the last notes, she turned to Remus expectantly. "That was lovely," he said, nodding. "It's a very interesting instrument."

"Actually I'm really glad you came in here," said Daisy hurriedly. "I was hoping to talk with you, privately. Here, come and sit," she added, grabbing one of the armchairs and dragged it over close to the desk chair, where she perched.

Remus frowned. "Is something wrong? What can I help you with?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I just wanted to talk to you more about us. It's kind of my job now, since our pack split. We never actually called ourselves a pack until recently, but Grams said that kind of language might be more familiar to you."

Remus looked even more puzzled. "Grams is a woman at the reservation, right? What do you need to tell me? I don't…I don't want to be the cause of any more problems for your pack," he said, his hands spread placatingly in front of him and a hint of alarm to his voice. "Your Alpha doesn't have to worry about me."

"No, no," said Daisy shaking her curly hair vigorously. "We just sort of have an Alpha. Kieran and Oscar would make any big decisions together based on what I tell them, since I'm the new Seer, although they'd probably still get everyone's opinion first."

"Sorry?"

"Argh…I'm not doing this well," Daisy groaned. "Let me start over. First off, no one blames you for what happened when you showed up that night and didn't know we were here, so don't worry about it. Second, I wanted to explain about our pack so you weren't afraid for Artemis or your daughter anymore, since the full moon is this week. Well, maybe it would be faster if I just showed you…now don't panic."

Moving to stand in the middle of the room, Daisy closed her eyes and swiftly transformed. Remus instinctively grabbed for his wand, shocked at the sight of the young werewolf, standing there placidly, her fur somewhat shaggy and deep brown. The werewolf cocked her head at him for a moment before changing back. "So," Daisy continued talking, as if nothing strange had happened, "we are able to control our transformations, except for during the full moon. Plus, there's no longer pain with each change, we remain fully conscious of who we are at all times, and there's no compulsion to bite people. Would you like to be like us?"

Remus couldn't speak and could hardly think. "What…what potion do you take? Or is it a spell?" he finally gasped out. "How can that happen? Did the disease mutate somehow?"

"No potions, no spell, no mutation. Mr. Lupin, have you ever wondered where the magic comes from?"

"There are several theories," Remus finally said, trying to rally his overwhelmed brain. "Extra pockets of energy within the earth that seek an outlet…um, gene mutations…"

"What if it was simpler than that? What if it was a gift?"

"A gift from whom?"

"You see, the thing is, there are layers of reality. There's the No-Maj layer – people going about their daily lives having no idea there is another layer beyond what they know, then there is the magic layer – where we are. And we see and know and experience more than what the No-Maj understands. Then even beyond that is another supernatural layer. A Seer's role is to communicate what they see or what they are told from the supernatural layer – that's me. So within the supernatural layer is the one we call the Creator, and the warriors, and their enemies."

Remus could only gape at her. Daisy paused as if she expected some sort of response from him. "I'm…I'm sorry but I don't understand. Are you saying this supernatural being gives us magic?"

"Yes!" she replied, beaming at him as if he were a child who'd solved a riddle.

"But…well, that sounds like a very nice idea, Daisy, but there's nothing to support that. I've never seen any evidence of…"

"You've seen me. I'm evidence."

"You might be evidence of a different strain of the disease. Perhaps the lycanthropy that developed on the North American Continent changed in such a way…" Remus' voice trailed off as Daisy frowned at him in disappointment.

"First off, that doesn't make sense. A disease wouldn't change to prevent itself from spreading. If I don't feel like biting people then the lycanthropy won't spread. Second, you don't know who we are, do you? I mean, no one told you about me and Joshua and Gareth and Cat and Izzy?"

"Told me what, exactly?"

"We were all infected here, in England, when we were little. Voldemort wanted to create a werewolf army. But after he was defeated the Ministry didn't want to manage all of us, so MCUSA agreed to take us and put us on one of their reservations. I don't have a different strain of lycanthropy."

Remus stared, dumbfounded. After waiting patiently through the silence, Daisy leaned over and poked his knee. "Hello?" When he didn't respond, she frowned at him again. "I messed it all up, didn't I? I didn't think I was the best choice to be the new Seer, but Grams insisted it was me. I've never been great at explaining things to people. Drives Izzy crazy. She's a lot smarter, but she's also just the tiniest bit self-absorbed, and Grams said it needed to be someone with empathy. I was so sure this was the right time to tell you…your wolf acted like he thought you were ready."

"Can we…can we just slow down a bit here?" Remus finally said, rubbing his forehead. "Are you saying that children were intentionally infected to give Voldemort access to werewolves? Was he going to kidnap you? Why…why an army of children?"

"I think they picked children because they're easier to control and weren't going to fight back. And he didn't kidnap us. Our families offered us to him. You already know all of our birth parents were Death Eaters…some still are."

Remus sat back in his chair, his frustration giving way to compassion. "I'm sorry that happened to you," he said slowly. "I was infected as a child also. It must have been very hard to lose your family and your home at such a young age. Being a werewolf is a curse," he added bitterly, staring off across the room. "It's a disease that cost you everything…"

Daisy shrugged, and for a moment looked like a lost little girl. "I don't think the lycanthropy did that," she said slowly. "The curse that cost me everything was pride and hatred. Seeing what Voldemort's followers are capable of…in a way my lycanthropy rescued me from a life of darkness." She smiled suddenly. "It seemed hard at first, but it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. I have a wonderful family now. I have a gift and power I never would have thought possible, and I can help other people have a better life. I can help them find a better way to be a werewolf. I was given a second chance at my life. You can have a second chance too."

Remus looked thoughtful, then frowned and shook his head. "I was with a pack years ago, and I hurt a lot of people during that time. I think I may have even killed someone once, during a full moon. I'm not sure I deserve a second chance." Remus intentionally tried to stare her down, to convey the severity of his words.

Daisy met his eyes, her own flickered gold within the brown and Remus thought they seemed ancient in such a young girl. "I have killed many people, Remus," her voice suddenly dark and authoritative. "Five children, every month for a year, woke up surrounded by blood because Voldemort used us as an execution squad. That last year before his defeat, the five of us were locked in a room each full moon. Just as we began to transform a person or two would be shoved into the room with us. It was close to twenty people all together. By your reckoning I am less deserving of a second chance than you are. But the second chance came, and I was grateful for it. And I believe that having that opportunity is also a responsibility. And that is why I came to England. It wasn't for revenge or freedom. It was to offer second chances to other people like me. You don't have to live the way you've been living," she pleaded. "You can take this chance. And then together we can offer it to others. The English pack trusts you. Remus, this can change _everything_ for so many people."

"What…what would I have to do?" he stammered.

"Just trust me and have a little bit of hope," Daisy smiled. She walked closer to him and placed her hand over his heart. She stood for a moment with her head tilted slightly to the side as if she were listening to something. "You are not despised for your weaknesses," she said after a moment, her brows drawing together in concern. "You brought up the possibility that you may have killed someone, but that's not what makes you feel you are unworthy, is it? You turned from Artemis when you felt she had betrayed you, and you thought, even for the briefest of moments, that it would have been better had she had stayed away and that you and your child would be better off dead."

Remus drew back, speechless. He had thought that, and he wouldn't have said it was for just a brief moment either. From the moment he'd left the house back in January until Sirius and Lina had found him, he'd had those thoughts on a playback loop. "How can you know that?" he whispered. "Are you a legilimens?"

Daisy let out a small laugh. "No. I can't see your thoughts. I just got my own wand a couple months ago." She bit her lip, becoming solemn again. "Remus, know the Creator does not despise you in your weakness," she repeated. "We all sometimes make decisions out of fear, and all of us must learn to not listen to the fear, but act on our courage. Even it's just one ounce that remains. You are looked upon with compassion. It is time to turn your back on what you were, and step in to what you are meant to be."

It didn't make sense to even be listening to her. She was barely old enough to be out of school, but she spoke with such authority. And wasn't that exactly what Sirius had said? If he had just one ounce of courage left, to choose hope? Remus nodded hesitantly, and she placed her hand over his heart again. "Creator, I call upon you to make this right," she began to softly intone. "You have promised to rescue your daughters and bring back your wayward sons. I call these bones to live."

Remus' eyes grew wide as he felt heat from the place she laid her hand begin to spread through his entire body. Daisy continued the gentle chant, smiling reassuringly as she said it, the gold flecks dancing in her eyes. "Pour the purifying fire into his body. Release the power and control that is available to all whose disease becomes an anointing."

His breaths became heavy as the heat within became uncomfortable and then unbearable. He turned panicked eyes on the girl. What had she done to him?! Before he could muster enough oxygen to scream, Daisy pulled her hand away and the heat began to subside. Remus stumbled back a step and tried to breathe normally. He noticed a flicker in the periphery of his vision and lifted his head, gasping as he focused on the huge animal beside him. It was a werewolf, or something like a werewolf, but massive. Remus backed up until the back of his legs hit the desk, then realized there was not one enormous werewolf in the room, but three, along with what looked like two silvery figures, tall and commanding.

Daisy stepped forward and took his hand. "Don't panic," she laughed gently. "Tell me what you see."

"Three…three werewolves," he began stuttering. "One looks like you did when you changed, but…different. One other is lighter in color and bigger, one is darker and smaller. Then there are two…ghosts?"

"So you can see all of them? Interesting. Most people only see their own. These are the warriors I told you about – those who dwell in the supernatural layer of the world. The darker one is mine. The smaller one is your daughter's. The other is yours."

Not quite believing this was happening and not sure why he was going along with it, Remus began to nod. "The dark one does look like you did. But the other one…is mine? It doesn't look like I look when I…change."

Daisy squeezed his hand and nodded sadly. "That is because you have been so hurt; so afraid and alone for so long. He is a manifestation of what you were always intended to be. The longer you live in this purified state, the more your werewolf form will become like his."

Remus looked on in awe as the large werewolf nodded to him, then turned to look at the two silver figures. As he focused on them their shapes became more defined, resembling some kind of ancient knight in silver armor, although one of them looked more feminine. "And what are those?"

"Ah, those are the warriors assigned to the others. They came to see your transformation because their people love you. The one on the right is Sirius', the left is Artemis'. That's what the warriors look like if their person isn't a werewolf, although they can change form if their person is an animagus. That was something new I learned when I came here. Sirius' warrior is pretty magnificent as a dog," she added in an amused voice.

The silver figures and two of the werewolves flickered and then disappeared in front of his eyes, as if someone had turned off a film projector. His own werewolf looked at him solemnly and nodded once more before also disappearing. "They're gone!" Remus exclaimed.

"Yes. You probably won't see them again, although you may very rarely see your own. Most of the others from the reservation only ever saw their own wolf at the time of their purification. I think Xander and Xavier were the exception because they were purified at the same time. Only the Seer can see and hear and interact with them."

"So do you still see them?" Remus asked, thinking it would be a little overwhelming to have the large beings around all the time.

"Yeah. They're there all the time…at least, they have been since Grams imparted the Seer gift to me. That was just a couple months ago. It's taken some getting used to, seeing twice as many people in a room as everybody else. Sometimes I have a hard time focusing because there's so much more going on for me," she answered, curling up into a corner of the couch. "Hey! You should try transforming!" she cried, clapping her hands together.

"Um, right now?" Remus choked, blushing furiously. "I don't think…my clothes…"

"Oh!" Daisy gasped, covering her mouth with her hands and giggling. "Yikes, no. You don't have to worry about your clothes anymore. They transform with you, like an animagus. Just…picture yourself changing and it will happen."

Remus shifted away from the desk and stood there awkwardly, looking down at his shoes and fiddling with the edge of his jumper.

"Close your eyes and imagine what normally happens," she encouraged. "Teeth come first…"

Remus closed his eyes and ran his tongue over his top teeth, imagining them lengthening, and freezing in surprise when they actually did. His heart began to race as his spine stretched, bowing slightly. He sensed shoulders and hip sockets shift and his arms and legs grow out, as his face felt pulled forward. A moment later it was over, and a somewhat confused and amazed werewolf sat back on his haunches, cocking his head at the girl on the sofa watching him with delight. He huffed out a surprised sound. His senses were flourishing without the pain to fog things up, and he was still…Remus. Even the Wolfsbane Potion didn't work like this, leaving him merely a drugged, pain-wracked version of himself. He felt more alive than he'd felt in years.

Daisy came towards him and knelt down, caressing his face gently. "See? There's a rainbow in the midst of the rain."

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! I love each and every comment! Guest, lol - Remus is a work in progress, but he's getting there. Kieran is fun to write. I kind of think of him as a little bit of Jason Momoa - hope that doesn't throw anyone who's pictured him differently. (Go with whatever you want!) He always shied away from being labeled as the Alpha on the reservation where an Alpha wasn't really necessary. Now that they're here and his family is having to handle such unique circumstances, he's stepping into the role more. I'm definitely planning on some type of Sirius/Severus redemption storyline, but it will most likely be a slow one because neither is going to be quick to forgive and forget. Don't worry - not planning to kill Remus and Artemis! But some of the others are fair game. ;)


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45 ~ March, 1997

Somedays George Weasley felt like visiting Grimmauld Place was the equivalent of being allowed to visit some extra secret Hogwarts House for Americans. There were always pairs or clusters of people studying events from the last war, trying to go over maps of Britain and learn locations, practicing spells, laughing and arguing in their broad accents, playing rambunctious music that spilled down the the stairs from the drawing room, or even occasionally werewolves tussling and play fighting. He and Fred had been dropping by far more often than they'd planned when the pair officially joined the Order, but the other kids were great fun to hang out with. They were so excited to talk about every little thing to do with the wizarding world, the twins' experiences from school, their shop; and Fred and George quite enjoyed being the center of attention while they were there. Plus Jane's cooking was even a step above their mum's and she'd basically issued an open invitation.

This morning as they arrived, a ukulele was contributing to the general ambiance. "Hey it's us," Fred remarked, nudging George and pointing up the stairs. A wave of pink bubbles was making its way out of the room and down the stair case. Isabel met matching self-satisfied grins as she pranced down the staircase through the curtain of bubbles, still strumming on the little instrument.

"Isn't this so fun?!" she laughed as she saw them. "It's my new favorite thing. Artemis said she got it Christmas before last. I'd love to check out the store. Maybe they have pianos that set off sparklers, or cotton candy clarinets!"

"Well, I hate to be the bearing of unpleasant tidings, but I'm afraid that instrument was a one of kind custom order," smirked Fred.

"But I'm sure the creators could be persuaded to look into other custom orders," added George quickly as he saw the brief flash of disappointment cross her face. She turned the full wattage of her smile on him, and he felt his neck grow a little warm.

"You know where it's from?" she asked breathlessly. George was rendered momentarily mute until Fred nudged his shoulder.

"Yeah!" he answered, wincing at how loud that sounded. "We, uh, we actually created it," he finally managed to get out, gesturing between himself and his brother.

Isabel's eyes widened, and in all his years of pranks and wheezes and general clownishness, George didn't think he'd ever been on the receiving end of such a frank look of admiration. He was saved from trying to talk by the noise of a dozen people making their way down to the kitchen for breakfast. Caught up the flow of traffic, the pretty blonde was pulled away from him, and George was left standing by the front door, staring after her. It took him a moment to realize he was now alone in the entryway, and hurried downstairs to join the others.

* * *

Gathered around the long table, the conversation was loud and cheerful. Remus was the current focus of attention, as Sirius was once again taking the mick out of him for getting sick after his daughter's stressful delivery. Esperanza Evangeline Lupin was now two weeks old, and currently nestled in her mother's arms sound asleep. Despite Sirius' continued efforts to call her Eel, she'd been unofficially christened Ana, as that was the closest Finn had managed to get to pronouncing her name. A person that was smaller than him and spent her time sleeping or yelling was fascinating to the little boy, and he took great pleasure in running his chubby hand over her fuzzy head or poking her cheek until someone caught him and made him stop.

"Lay off, Sirius. I don't blame him," muttered Lina, shuddering. "It was like a bloody crime scene in there."

"Ha!" shouted Hezekiah, startling them all.

Xavier, sitting beside him shook his head. "We had a little wager going," he explained. "How long would it take for one of you Brits to use that word bloody in way that could be a cuss word and actually describing something bloody at the same time."

Sirius barked a loud laugh as Remus and Lina looked at the Americans oddly.

"Yep! And I won. Less than two months," said Hezekiah, doing some sort of little victory dance in his seat. "You owe me!"

"And what exactly is it I owe you again?" Xavier asked. "We have no money, no chores to trade off. We seem to be on a perpetual vacation until someone sends us out to attack a Death Eater. All this sitting around waiting is really frustrating."

The rest of the table looked at him in surprise, except for Kieran, who nodded his agreement. "Which is why Lina and I have been working on setting up a training schedule. Those of you with wands will be spending significantly more time working on defensive spells and dueling. And all of us will be intentionally working on, uh, werwolf combat training I guess. Not really sure what to call that. Xavier, I'll have you head that up with Artemis when she's up for it. You have combat experience and she's used to fighting with her animagus form." The two looked at each other and back to Kieran, nodding. Remus shot a concerned frown at Artemis, but no one else noticed.

"Oh, guess what!" Isabel interjected. "George and Fred are the ones who enchanted the ukulele! How cool is that?!"

Caught in the beam of her smile again, George felt his Weasley skin betray him; the flush creeping up his neck to his cheeks. "It's not really all that much…"

"It's a variation of the _Pomfolygódis_ Charm, right?" asked Gareth. "Clever."

"We made that little beauty before we had the shop," said Fred, finally taking pity on his brother's obvious discomfort and redirecting the conversation a little. "Remus commissioned it for Artemis, two Christmases ago. We'd wondered about starting a line of enchanted musical instruments, but haven't gotten around to it yet."

"Well I think that is just amazing," Isabel. "You guys are my age, and already own your own business and invent all these things. Remus says you're really good at charms - that you even made a portable swamp!"

Fred was trying extremely hard not to laugh as she addressed both of them, but kept her gaze fixed on George. He had the sneaking suspicion that she wasn't even aware of the effect she was having. Well, maybe he could help things out a little… "We're planning to head to Hogsmeade today," he said nonchalantly. "There's a joke shop there we're thinking about buying. Would any of you like to come with? It's the only all-wizarding village in Britain."

Isabel turned pleading eyes on Oscar. "Can we, Papá?"

"It was my understanding that we are supposed to be keeping a low profile here, _Querida_. A wizarding village would be certain to notice strangers."

"Well, not if it's just the younger ones," offered Sirius. "Hogsmeade is the station for Hogwarts, so the village is used to seeing lots of students from the school popping in and out. And these two here," he added, gesturing to Fred and George, "have a reputation for being flamboyant. No one would probably think twice about them having a bit of Yankee skirt…Ow!"

Remus shook his head as Artemis and Lina glared at Sirius, the former having smacked his arm. "How about you not refer to your guests as a 'bit of skirt,'" he said.

"I didn't mean it like that," Sirius said petulantly, rubbing his arm. "I just meant it wouldn't be surprising for Fred or George to have a foreign girlfriend."

"Did you hear that, Georgie?" asked Fred, feigning offense. "Apparently we have a reputation. I think we should consider a defamation suit. All this time I've been absolutely faithful to my Angelina, and you haven't had a date in I don't know how long."

"Right you are, Freddie. Clearly someone has been impersonating our persons, and should be held to account," George added, thinking to himself that they were going to have a little brotherly chat later about not bringing his lackluster romantic life into future conversations.

The Americans watched the brief interaction with a mix of confusion and amusement. "Um, so does that mean we can go or not?" asked Isabel.

"Sirius' opinion on the twins' romantic escapades aside, I do agree that you younger ones shouldn't have any trouble accompanying them to Hogsmeade," said Remus. "Tonks is stationed there and can keep an eye on things."

* * *

Artemis startled awake at the weight of a hand on her shoulder. "You fell asleep sitting up at the table," Remus murmured in her ear. "I think you need to go back to bed."

She nodded sluggishly and pushed back her chair, wincing only slightly as her muscles stretched while she stood up. Things had healed up rather quickly after the surgery, all things considered, but it still twinged a little if she pulled in the wrong direction. Allowing Remus to guide her up the stairs, she settled in to her little arm chair to nurse Ana. She nodded off again, and woke this time to a soft chuckle.

"It's a good thing I know you're exhausted, or I might start to think I'm exceptionally boring company."

A warmth surged through Artemis at the sound. It had been so long since she'd heard him laugh. "You could never be boring," she said, sleep making her voice low and a little raspy. "And you're right, I am completely worn out."

"Here, let me have her. You climb in bed and try to rest."

Artemis handed the baby over and climbed into her bed, snuggling gratefully under her covers. "She's usually a good sleeper," she said around a huge yawn. "Last night was just a little off. She was up every hour."

Remus paced out the length of the room with his long strides, ever so gently bouncing the small bundle in his arms. "We're going to settle down now and go to sleep, so your mum can take a little nap," he said softly, his finger tips running wonderingly over her hair, her cheek, and down her back. She was so small, so delicate, his Ana. Her eyes blinked sleepily at him — not Artemis' bright aqua shade, but his own softer blue, and her little mouth opened in a tiny yawn. Twice more around the room and she was asleep. Feeling rather pleased with himself, Remus gently laid Ana down in her little basket, and turned toward the bed. Artemis was already asleep, her lips parted slightly and hair falling into her face.

Remus sank slowly into the chair beside the bed. The past week had been wonderful and…odd. He still couldn't say he was one hundred percent sure what had happened. Daisy said it was his willingness to submit that allowed the outside power to change him. And change him it certainly had. He felt lighter, he could hardly hear the whispery voice now, and when he did it was easy to ignore. This last full moon had been…could he say fun? In spite of Daisy's assurances, and the fact that he could now easily and painlessly transform whenever he wanted, he had still been apprehensive. The moon had held such control over his life for so many years, that he was skeptical things had changed that much. But the night of February twenty-second had forever altered his expectations…

 _I know you're concerned. If it will make you feel better we can split up, everyone can stay in their own rooms," Kieran offered with a shrug._

 _No," said Daisy, firmly. "He's finished making decisions out of fear." Remus and Kieran looked at her in surprise. The girl rarely spoke so vehemently about anything. "We stay together," she added, nodding to herself._

 _So about an hour before the moon was to rise, the group assembled in the drawing room. In spite of his apprehension, Remus had to admit it felt very much like when the Marauders had all spent time at the Potters' house over the summer holidays. The sofas were shoved out the way and pillows and blankets piled all over the floor. After a moment, Remus chose a spot closest to the door. That way he figured Kieran could always force him out and keep everyone else safe if he ran amok._

 _It will be fine," whispered Artemis, suddenly beside him. "This is what we did at Christmas… had a slumber party."_

 _Remus looked at Ana, snuggled up in a blanket against her chest, and gently caressed her head. "It just…it hurts so much," he whispered. His face took on a far-off look, and he frowned unconsciously. "Like what I always imagine the Cruciatus would feel like. And she's so small…"_

 _Hey," she said, grabbing his hand. "It's not like that anymore, for either other you."_

 _And it hadn't been. They'd spent the last hour each sharing parts of their stories, not just their experiences with lycanthropy, but also what they actually enjoyed about being a werewolf, which was both touching and enlightening. Xander said it helped him realize what really mattered in life, as he reached out and ruffled Xavier's hair. Remus was still curious about how their experiences were different from the other Americans. Hawthorne admitted that he'd always been clumsy and lacking in physical prowess, but as a werewolf he could run and leap and hunt and wrestle with the others. Catherine repeated what Daisy had told Remus the week before, that the lycanthropy gave them a real family. And more than a few people teared up when Sirius offered that a werewolf had been his first real friend, and he'd spent almost three years with their other best friends learning to become animagi so he wouldn't have to spend the full moons alone._

 _As the moon rose and he sensed the magic in the air, Remus braced himself, wondering for a panicked moment if he should focus on Ana, or move away from her. And then before he could quite wrap his mind around his bones shifting seamlessly and painlessly, it was over. He immediately turned to his daughter, and nosed the blanket tentatively. He looked up to see Artemis smiling at him, and she pulled the blanket back to reveal the tiniest, fuzziest werewolf imaginable. Remus huffed a small sound of surprise; Ana hadn't even woken up through the change._

 _He then allowed himself to study the others in the room. Most were looking at him curiously. He was certainly the sickliest looking werewolf they'd ever seen, as several told him the next morning, and he would agree. The Americans were strong, with thick healthy fur, and he had to admit they would inspire a great deal of fear among any wizards they happened to meet in this state. As he was looking around, Finn toddled over, seeking out the new smells, and gave a little tug on Ana's blanket. Remus nosed him gently away, and the little guy tumbled over with a faint yip. As he righted himself, Finn apparently decided that was a wonderful new game, because he charged toward Remus eagerly. Amused and still in awe that something like this was happening, Remus nudged him again, toppling him onto a nearby cushion. The pair kept it up for a good while until Finn decided pouncing on Kieran's tail was a better option._

 _Remus stretched out beside Ana's blanket, still studying the others and trying to match them with their scents. He looked over in surprise as the tiny pup made a small whining noise and began squirming around. Remus nosed her gently and then pulled back as she began crying more urgently. "There, there now," murmured Artemis as she scooped up Ana and offered her a bottle. The little werewolf sucked greedily until the milk was gone, and then promptly fell back asleep, as Artemis walked around with her, petting her soft fur. Remus watched them, torn between amazement, pride and a hint of shame. Artemis had handled all of this so much more graciously than he had. The sound of a calm voice with an Irish lilt caught his attention. Ellie had curled up on the floor with her back against one of the sofas, near where Kieran and Finn were playing and began reading aloud from an Agatha Christie novel._

 _A tawny mountain lion then took the place beside him, curling protectively around the pup once again asleep on the pink blanket. Now there was a scent he knew very well, and Remus sighed in contentment. It was a peaceful night, the most peaceful evening he'd had in months, and certainly the most peaceful full moon he'd ever experienced. Ellie read from the book for a while until some of the younger ones started to act a little antsy. There was some pacing and good natured wrestling, until everyone settled themselves down for the night. Ellie read for a little longer until they started to drift off to sleep, then lay down herself, nestled in beside Finn with a large blanket covering them. Lina had gone in and out of her animagus form, still claiming the scents were all a bit too much for her, and finally sprawled across the sofa on her stomach, face buried in the crook of her arm, while her free hand rested on Padfoot's head, curled up beside her. Remus shifted a little closer to Artemis, and lowered his head onto his paws, breathing out a great sigh. She leaned over and butted his head gently, before shifting from where she'd curled around Ana and stretching out beside him. Remus let the feel and scent of her fur wash over him as he gratefully closed his eyes and drifted into the most tranquil sleep he thought he'd ever had._

Remus sighed contentedly again at the memory. He should probably leave the room now that they were both asleep. He didn't really feel like he had the right to watch her sleep, like she was his…wife. Remus frowned at the thought. That was a word he'd been trying to avoid thinking about. Was it strange to pursue that kind of relationship when you already had a child together and lived in what was probably the most peculiar household in the world? Was it even something to worry about in light of how chaotic the world was? Besides, things had been a little…stiff between them. Well, maybe stiff wasn't quite the right word, but there was no question that their experiences over the time they'd been apart had changed them in some ways, and things between them weren't quite as comfortable as they had been a year ago. Still some days he almost couldn't seem to stop touching her anytime she was in the same room with him, just reassure himself that she was real and this wasn't all a dream. Remus scrubbed his hand over his face and rose reluctantly from the chair. How exactly should one go about trying to date the mother of a nursing infant who was trying to function on a few hours of interrupted sleep each night in a house with almost no privacy?

* * *

What sweet reviews - thank you all sooooo much! Thanks to all of you that keep reading! Guest: Dizzi, Joshua Messick or Ted Yoder are fun to watch play the hammered dulcimer on YouTube. They play with what look like little wooden spoons with a hole in the middle. When my brother played, he used little felt covered hammers, so that's what I went with. There are also ones called lap or mountain dulcimers. It's a very common instrument in Appalachian folk music, so in my head Kieran (carpenter) and Xavier (electrician who cut and wound the strings), who are both from North Carolina, made a simple one for Daisy. Isabel helped them tune it. ;) The song Daisy sings is the third verse of a hymn called "O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go." I haven't heard it played on the hammered dulcimer, but it seems like it would fit. My favorite version of the song is by Chelsea Moon and is played with acoustic and steel guitars.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46 ~ March, 1997

Isabel, Gareth, Hezekiah, and Catherine wound up accompanying Fred and George into Hogsmeade. It was a gorgeous, if slightly chilly, day, and the village sparkled as sunshine glinted off the melting snow of winter. As they turned a corner heading for Honeydukes, they came across a familiar pink-haired witch.

"Wotcher!" Tonks said brightly, nodding at the group.

"Who?" asked Hezekiah, turning to look behind him.

"Umm, who what?" replied Tonks, looking confused.

"Watch who?" he said, gesturing around them.

"What does that mean?" she asked, frowning.

"Who. Do. You. Want. Me. To. Watch?" enunciated Hezekiah slowly, looking baffled at the pretty young witch, who was now eyeing him strangely.

Tonks cocked her head and stared hard at him, before turning to Fred and George. "So, he's fit, but a bit barmy, eh?"

"Nah, happens to us too. They have trouble with the accents," said Fred.

"It's, um, less the accents than the slang," offered Gareth. "Whatever you said sounded like you were telling us to 'watch her.'"

"Oh!" said Tonks. "Sorry. It's just a way to say hello," she said, smiling cheerfully at Hezekiah.

"Yeah, sure…it's cool, I was just playing with you, girl! I mean…I knew you didn't mean to actually watch someone," Hezekiah bluffed, trying to cover his embarrassment. "Come on, let's go check out this Quidditch shop!" he said, turning to Gareth. "I wonder how I could get a new broom? If we're going to fight are they paying us a stipend or something like that…"

Isabel giggled and Gareth rolled his eyes as they followed Hezekiah's fading voice into the shop. As Catherine turned to go after them, Tonks placed a hand on her arm. "Listen…um, his name's Hezekiah, right?"

Catherine nodded. "That's right. Hezekiah Walker."

"What's his story? I mean before he became a werewolf."

"He's from California. He played professionally for the Southwest Spitfire Quadpot Team right out of school. Joined us about five years ago. Why?"

Catherine was surprised to see Tonks' cheek pink slightly while her hair took on a more purple tinge. "It's uh, like I said. He's well fit," Tonks said with a cheeky grin.

"Um, he is I suppose," agreed Catherine, looking a little confused. "I mean, it was pretty easy to stay in shape on the res. There's lot of hiking and chores, and we'd, you know, race and wrestle and stuff when we were transformed…"

Fred snorted and linked his arm with Catherine's. "Come with me, love, and I will elucidate the meaning behind some of our more oft-used terminology. In this case, 'fit' means our clumsy Metamorphomagus finds your Quadpot player attractive. If that attraction were to progress into something beyond the mere appreciative comment, she might say that she 'fancied' him. Now, if you would, I also have some questions about your feisty and undeniably 'fit' younger sister…"

Tonks watched a panicked look fall across George's face, as he hurried after Fred and Catherine. She chuckled and took up her patrol of the village again, heading for the train station.

* * *

Remus found himself pacing a little in the hallway. He shouldn't be nervous, it wasn't like he was asking anything untoward, but he felt like a schoolboy preparing to ask a girl's father for permission to take her to a dance. And he hadn't the faintest idea what Kieran's reaction might be. These werewolves seemed a conservative lot. Still…Remus was only asking to try and help…Maybe he should take him out for a beer first…

Before he could talk himself out of it, Remus knocked on the bedroom door. Kieran opened it seconds later. "Hey, Remus. What's up?" He held up a worn copy of _A History of Magic_. "I was trying to get a better handle on the last war, but this book seems a little fuzzy on some of the details."

"That is probably an understatement," agreed Remus, his lip curling a little in distaste. "As soon as a war is over everyone tries to convince themselves they were on the right side and did as much as they could to help the war effort. I, uh, have some journals from back then. Maybe they would be more helpful? I tried to keep track of what each Order member did, whether it was successful, and some thoughts on what we could have tried differently. My hopes were to update the school's Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook to help students be more prepared for what was really out there."

Kieran looked impressed. "I'd love to take a look at them. You ever get to update that book?"

"Ah…no. People also don't want to hear their children might need to be prepared to fight another war someday, especially from a werewolf… Listen, I had an idea and I wanted to ask your permi…opinion," he said.

"Shoot," Kieran said amiably, leaning on the door frame.

Remus shoved his hands in his pockets, and glanced down at the floor before meeting Kieran's dark gaze. "I'd like Artemis to move into my room so I can help her more at night with Ana. But I didn't want to cause any problems if your pack is against that sort of thing." Suddenly the air felt thicker, like there was a separate physical presence with them. Remus wondered if it had something to do with their spirit werewolves — as if the Alpha's warrior rose up, and his own waited meekly for chastisement or commendation.

"Whew! Do you feel that?" asked Kieran, wonderingly. "That whole Alpha thing can be a little intense. Back on the reservation things ran pretty smoothly and I didn't have to really use it much. Here it's like he's on high alert. Hey, I get that we might seem a little old fashioned, but life on a res is different. We were prepared to spend the rest of our lives with only each other. There's nowhere to escape to, no way to take a break if things get tough. Claiming's easy there because we're never more than a few miles away from anyone else at any time, but any kind of romantic relationship would be significantly harder. Those feelings are volatile, and if something goes wrong we still have to live and work together; see each other at every meal. So yeah, we have rules. And the rules defend people's privacy and self-respect. But…I get that you're dealing with different circumstances. So if you and she want to work something out to care for your daughter better that's fine with me. You are intending to marry her, right?" Here his voice took on an almost sinister tone. "Because I will not tolerate this situation being treated cavalierly. You will handle yourself and her with respect. And it's _our_ pack," Kieran said, clapping a heavy hand on his shoulder. Remus barely kept himself from staggering under the force of it. "This is your pack too. At least," he amended with a grin, "it's Artemis' pack, so if you want her, then you're stuck with us."

"Yes…good…right. I'll talk with her about it then," Remus said quickly. "I…of course I want to marry her," he said firmly. "But I also want to show her that she can trust me. I know I haven't handled things as well as I could and I want a chance to do it right."

Kieran nodded approvingly, before following Remus back to his room to dig out his old papers from the last war.

* * *

"Cat, you can't possibly eat all of that chocolate!" laughed Gareth, grabbing several packages of cauldron cakes before they tumbled off the pile in her arms.

"Actually, I probably could, but I won't," she replied pertly, taking advantage of his open arms to thrust the rest of her pile at him. "Take these up to the counter while I get more. There's plenty of people at home to buy stuff for. Sirius likes licorice wands, Hawthorne wanted some pepper imps, and Jane asked me to look for a special baking chocolate. And don't you think Finn will love some chocolate frogs?" Her voice faded away as she walked back among the stacks of sweets. Gareth shook his head and moved to the register, dumping the pile of candy on the counter top.

Isabel was waiting patiently for Catherine to finish shopping, her own small bag of candy in hand. She sucked determinedly on an acid pop that was slowly turning the edges of her lips green, and Gareth scrunched his nose up at her. "What are you, five?" he asked. Isabel's only response was to pull the acid pop out of her mouth and stick her bright green tongue out at him. "Gross. Nobody's going to want to kiss you if you look like a frog exploded in your mouth."

"Might as well get used to it. I hear you're stuck with me."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

Isabel's eyes widened and she took the candy away from her mouth. "Are you picking Catherine over me because of a lollipop!?" she hissed at him. "That's…that's ridiculously unfair! Catherine has plenty of bad habits…she…she…well, she has! And stop laughing at me!" she said furiously. "We should be the ones who get to choose anyway…you boys are the ones who wither away without us!"

"Wow — tone it down there Miss Drama!" said Gareth, shaking his head still laughing. "That wasn't what I meant at all. Catherine and I were talking before we left the res, and thought maybe we didn't even need to worry about arranged marriages anymore since we would be living here and have opportunities to meet more people."

"No way!" Isabel whispered, her eyes comically wide again. "Papá will never go for that."

"He already has," Gareth replied with a smug smile. "Sort of. He said as long as the guys didn't start showing signs of aggression or possessiveness he was willing to wait and see."

"Huh. So we can start dating people…" Isabel said thoughtfully, popping the green acid pop back in her mouth, and eyeing the other people in the shop with a speculative air.

Gareth watched the wheels turn in her head with a growing sense of alarm. "Whoa there, Izzy. There's no way Papá is going to let you just start going out on a bunch of dates with anyone you meet while you're trying to sift through them for a potential husband."

Isabel grinned at him wickedly around her mouthful of candy, before turning and pushing open the shop door. "Who said I was looking for a husband?" she called over her shoulder as she left the building.

"Isabel…" Gareth called after her in a steely tone. "Don't you mess this up for the rest of us…Izzy…" Leaving Catherine and her mountain of sweets on the counter, Gareth took off out the door calling after Isabel, who was determinedly ignoring him.

* * *

The day out in Hogsmeade was unfortunately cut short by the frightening news that Fred and George's younger brother, Ron, had been poisoned. The matching red-heads, now wearing matching angry and concerned expressions took off immediately to meet their parents up at the school, and Tonks, who was coming off her shift, offered to take the Americans back to Grimmauld Place.

"I hope he'll be ok," said Catherine. "The way people talk, I would think that accidents at schools are fairly common. I mean, you've got kids working with potions and trying new spells and then Quadpot is really dangerous…I mean Quidditch."

"Yeah, there's definitely a reason they have hospital wings in the schools," agreed Hezekiah. "I'm sure everything will be fine. They can probably fill us in on what happened tomorrow."

But as it turned out, they didn't need to wait until tomorrow. Word of Ron's poisoning had gotten around, and whoever was available had assembled for an impromptu Order meeting by the time the group had returned to the house. Tonks and the five Americans silently took their places at the dining room table amid the palpable tension in the room.

"I'm just saying, I don't think we need to panic," said Remus. "We don't have enough information yet to determine what actually happened, let alone what someone intended to happen."

"I'm not panicking," said Sirius, through clenched teeth. "But I think we have overestimated how safe Hogwarts is for Harry, especially with Albus gone so frequently."

"We have four Aurors stationed in Hogsmeade and around the school," offered Kingsley. "After the fiasco with Barty Crouch, the Ministry and the staff of the school are far more aware of possible incursions, and are taking appropriate measures. It's highly unlikely that Death Eaters can get into Hogwarts!"

"What if they're already there?" snapped Sirius. "Harry thinks Draco Malfoy has taken the Mark."

"Malfoy!?" snorted Moody incredulously. "Turning him into a ferret may be the one good thing Crouch did when he was pretending to be me! Voldemort isn't going to recruit a sniveling, spoiled teenager."

"I'm not sure I agree with that," said Lina grimly. I don't know anything about the Malfoy boy in particular, but this poisoning incident coupled with that cursed necklace screams student involvement. These attempts were clumsy and…almost half-hearted. It could be a student whose family is forcing them to be involved or who is trying to somehow make a name for themselves and doesn't really know what they're doing."

"Exactly what I was saying," exclaimed Sirius, thumping his hand on the table for emphasis.

"But both of those items were intended for Dumbledore, not Harry," interjected Kingsley. "So I still do not agree that Harry is in greater danger now than before."

"The fact that both the necklace and the mead were intended for Dumbledore actually lines up more with Lina's idea that this student may not really want to participate in a plan to…take him out," added Remus. "The necklace in particular was, as Lina said, a clumsy attempt. Dumbledore would never simply open and handle an anonymous package. The poisoned mead was better. It would be coming from a trusted source, and McGonagall said that Professor Slughorn claimed the bottle was unopened…not that it would be difficult to make it appear so."

"Look, I was in trouble all the time growing up," said Xander. "My first arrest was at sixteen, but teachers had already been telling me for years that I would end up in jail. I'd bet money one or more of this kid's teachers has at least a suspicion of who it could be."

Sirius and Artemis turned in sync to look at Remus. "I was only there for a year," he immediately protested. "I can't accuse someone of…of an assassination attempt on the impressions that I might have gotten of them three years ago!"

"If it is a student, I am certain Dumbledore already knows about it, and will have the situation in hand," sighed Kingsley. "If we needed to know at whom his suspicions were directed he would tell us."

"Wait…does that mean he's protecting them?" asked Jane, frowning. "I mean…two completely innocent people have been hurt. Why would he just let this person walk around like that's nothing? If you say he has the situation in hand, then is he willing to sacrifice other students for this one?"

Remus' brow furrowed at her words, and he looked at Sirius as though an idea was slowly solidifying in his mind. "Dumbledore may view it as an…acceptable level of risk," he said slowly, turning back to address Jane. "A couple of years ago Hogwarts hosted a tournament between itself and two other European schools. A Death Eater managed to get Harry entered into the competition despite the fact that he was not of age and set the final challenge up as a trap to try and kill Harry and bring Voldemort back in full strength. Before we knew any of that, there were some…" at this statement Remus' eyes flicked over to Kingsley, "…who felt there were enough red flags to warrant cancelling the entire tournament, or at least removing Harry from it. But Dumbledore allowed him to continue as a way of…drawing out…"

"He was _bait_!" snapped Sirius, slamming his hand down and startling the rest of the group.

"So you think he's allowing this…would-be-assassin to continue the attempts in order to draw out other Death Eaters in _a school_ , and in the meantime is comfortable putting other students at risk?" asked Hawthorne, his voice equal parts skeptical and disapproving.

"But whoever is doing it is a kid too, right?" added Gareth. "Maybe Dumbledore's trying to give them time to choose to do the right thing."

Lina sat up straighter in her chair and leaned forward. "Christmas!" she said urgently, staring at Remus and Sirius, and Remus nodded back at her in agreement. "Harry said he overheard Professor Snape speaking with Malfoy…what's his name?"

"Draco," said Sirius, nodding. "Snape said he'd made an Unbreakable Vow to protect him, and was offering to help with some task…Do you think Snape's trying to help Draco kill Dumbledore?"

Lina shook her head vehemently, "No! I think…" She broke off and suddenly looked a little uncertain. "Well, if that's how he's playing it, he will have a _very_ good reason," she finally said. Sirius scoffed under his breath and she rolled her eyes at him. "Look, I know you hate him, but Malofy's a Slytherin, and Professor Snape…would take care of his own. My first months at school he taught me how to blend in better, act more like the Purebloods. He backed up all the lies I told about my family, and kept the trouble makers away from me. I trust him," she said firmly. "He could be trying to keep Draco from doing something idiotic, or even be trying to flip him."

"Flip him? What does that mean?" asked Isabel.

"Get him to switch sides," explained Xavier. "It happens sometimes to soldiers who are captured or spies that are deeply embedded for too long. You can create some very effective double agents that way. And," he added, his voice more serious, "it's very common to recruit young people into revolutionary activity. They tend to be more rash because they feel invincible and can't always fully understand the consequences of their choices…it's something to do with how the brain develops."

Lina focused on Remus again. "Give me three words for Draco Malfoy."

"Arrogant…clever…" Remus answered right away, then he hesitated for a moment before adding, "insecure?"

Lina nodded thoughtfully. "You mean he's not just arrogant because of his background. He's arrogant because he's compensating? Does he hang around with kids who aren't as clever as he is and who worship him a little?"

Remus nodded. "He would avoid some of the other Slytherin and Ravenclaw Purebloods, especially the older ones. But you could also tell he would get frustrated by his entourage - Gregory Goyle, Crabbe...what was his name? Vincent, and Pansy Parkinson… He has followers, not friends."

"In other words, he's a prime candidate for Death Eater recruitment," Lina said sardonically. "He has something to prove…maybe to his family, maybe to himself. He's not confident enough to be vulnerable with students who are stronger or more clever than he is. Harry was probably right about him."

"Well Snape and Draco's father are friends, have been since school," added Sirius. "This is also just strengthening a case for Snivellus to be trying to help him succeed at taking out Dumbledore."

"I'm not sure that's entirely accurate," said Remus. "They obviously were both in Slytherin and ran in roughly the same circles, but he never spent a great deal of time with Lucius. I only ever saw Severus studying with Narcissa in the library, and sometimes the two of them with Regulus."

"Who's Narcissa?" asked Artemis.

"Draco's mother," replied Remus at the same moment Sirius answered, "Remus' school crush."

Remus flushed as Artemis tried to hide a smile. "So, you're saying it's more likely that Severus is protecting Draco for his mother's sake, which I agree is different than trying to help him succeed in becoming a Death Eater…as long as his mother isn't like yours," she added to Sirius.

"No," Sirius sighed. "She's not. Don't get me wrong, Cissy's all for the Pureblood supremacy, but she'd try to avoid any unpleasantness; too fastidious to appreciate the ugly underbelly of what it means to be a Death Eater."

"Well, I think we should leave the topic for now," said Kingsley, wearily rubbing his forehead. "We can go round for hours trying to settle the question of Severus' loyalty satisfactorily. Suffice it to say Dumbledore and Snape are mostly likely both aware of the Malfoy boy's involvement and are handling it their own way. Neither would thank us for getting involved in this further. I simply wanted to keep everyone abreast of the situation."

Kingsley, Moody, and Tonks left to head back to the Ministry, picking their way through the people crowded around the table. Hezekiah leaned back in his chair a little, watching Tonks leave the room, and caught Gareth eyeing him knowingly. "What?" he whispered belligerently. "I'm allowed to look!"

"You are," agreed Gareth, smiling. "And I'm pretty sure she was looking at you too, earlier in the village," he added, quickly rising from his chair and leaving the room.

"She…she was?" Hezekiah asked in surprise, the front legs of his chair landing back on the floor with a thump.

* * *

"You want to what?" Artemis asked confusedly, after Remus had caught up with her on the staircase. Her eyelids felt like they had sandpaper inside them, and her brain was moving so sluggishly. Maybe she needed another nap.

Not sure whether he has spoken too quickly or too quietly, Remus took a deep breath and tried again. "I would like you to move into my room. You're exhausted and I want to help with Ana."

Surprised, Artemis felt strangely mulish about that idea. Sure it was hard, being up several times a night, but the other women were usually happy to take turns holding the baby during the day. She'd been careful to set up silencing charms around her side of the room so that Lina wasn't disturbed. Since she couldn't help the Order in a normal way right now, she'd just tried not to make things more difficult for the ones that could. Artemis abhorred being thought of as weak, a useless limb that required more care than she was able to give. She'd had her fill of that on the reservation. Surely her circumstances had made things complicated enough for all of them… "It's fine the way things are. I can handle it, Remus, honestly. And I thought we were going to take things slow. This seems a little precipitous."

Remus frowned, pushing back the wave of disappointment that she hadn't jumped at the idea. "This isn't about you handling things. I think you've done a brilliant job. But Ana's my responsibility as well, and I want to help. I…I also would like to just spend more time with you, and there are so many people around all the time…"

"I'll think about it," Artemis answered softly. "Besides, it's not just about us. Where is Sirius going to sleep?"

"I'm sure he'll try and convince Lina to have him," said Remus dryly. "But failing that, he can move his things into the studio."

"Poor Sirius," she laughed. "He's been pushed out of two rooms now. Next he'll have to set up a little cupboard in the kitchen like Kreacher."

Remus smiled at her laughter, and reached up to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. She still mostly kept it piled on her head in a messy bun with her wand stuck through it like a giant hair pin. And he couldn't deny that he still found it incredibly enticing to see her looking sleepy and rumpled in an old jumper and pajama bottoms. Although now she was just as likely to be wearing them at an Order meeting as she was at breakfast. Hair and makeup and professional robes seemed to be beyond her now that her focus was on the baby and sometimes it was more than a little distracting.

"Please think about it," he said finally. "I think it would be good for you…for both of us."

* * *

Thanks for reading ~ let me know what you think! Guest, you are quite right - it is now March, they are finally together and a spring fluff fest is about to begin for almost everyone. And don't worry, I don't really plan on killing off that many people. Because really, fan fiction lets us sometimes be like the 9th Doctor and say, "Everybody lives!" If I do kill off anyone, it will most likely be characters that will make an impact on the other characters, but not necessarily the reader, if that makes sense. I'm still on the fence about what to do with Snape, though. Love your thoughts!


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47 ~ March, 1997

Following the rather tense Order meeting, Lina had followed Sirius up to his studio, and closed the door behind them. "Listen, I'd like to speak to you about something. I don't need you to change your opinion about Professor Snape," she said. "But I happen to have my own opinion. He's a difficult man, no argument, but I respect him. I respect what he's doing now to help us. And I trust him. I just…wish you wouldn't react so angrily every time someone says something that might be in defense of him."

"How do you do that thing where you can understand people with three words?" Sirius asked, ignoring her comment. "Remus said that's how you found me. He thought you were mental."

"It's mostly just understanding how the majority of people think," she replied, sighing internally at the deflection as she began studying some of the paintings in the room.

"Like that woman in the book Ellie read the night of the full moon? What was her name? Miss Marvel?"

"Miss Marple," Lina chuckled. "Yeah, a little bit…the study of human nature and an inability to be shocked by its depravity. There's always aberrations, but once you know the norms, the aberrations are a little easier to recognize."

"What made you start studying people like that?"

Lina paused in front of a painting of herself. The painted Lina was trying to look stern, but obviously hiding a smile that broke through moments later. "Most people aren't like what they present to the world," she said softly. "Once you figure out what they're really like you can usually use it against them."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised by that," Sirius said dryly. "That's very…"

"Slytherin of me," Lina finished, and Sirius cringed. He hadn't meant to sound like he was throwing it in her face.

"I pulled off my first successful blackmail attempt when I was eight," she went on. "Our neighbor kept me in pocket money for two years so I wouldn't tell his wife about his affair. Of course I didn't really know he was having an affair, I just knew enough to realize he didn't want his wife to know about whatever was going on. And I did the same through most of my years at school, collecting secrets, tormenting other people's enemies…all for money of course. It wasn't until sixth year that things changed. When you have to have your career meeting with your Head of House, Professor Snape told me in no uncertain terms to leave the path I was headed down. He said I was uniquely gifted. As a Muggleborn I could tread both worlds, and as an almost wholly amoral creature I could get results where others failed."

Lina smiled at the memory, and shook her head. "And then he said most heroes were too principled to be successful, and sometimes you need a villain. He also said not to change what I do, just change my targets. So, like you know, I tried the Auror route and then struck out on my own. I'm still that amoral creature that has problems with authority. I just usually fight against people worse than me."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Sirius asked softly.

"Because you still seem surprised when I respond in ways that you deem as _Slytherin_. I'm proud to be a Slytherin. In a way we take some of the best of all the houses — nerve, brains, loyalty. And we're survivors. I just need you to know all that up front because if you harbor that much hatred towards Professor Snape, maybe someday you'll realize how alike we are and turn against me too." Her hands restlessly brushed up and down her arms as if she were cold.

 _What?! Why would she think…_ " _Sard!_ " Sirius burst out, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

Lina turned to him in surprise. "What does that mean?"

"I'm not entirely sure," he huffed, shrugging. "Kitten says it's a medieval swear word, and Kieran said I can't swear around the house anymore in case Finn picks it up, but I…I had to say something. Look, I'm trying to get over my gut reaction to Slytherin, I really am. But Snape and I would have had a turbulent history no matter which house he was in. Our personalities, the situation with James and Lily just set us on a collision course. But…you know it isn't even the Slytherin thing that gets me when you show him such trust and respect. It just…It makes me feel old," he said sheepishly, trying to smile, "being reminded that he was your teacher. Ten years difference can be a lot. It just feels a little…odd…um, thinking about you in a certain way, when someone I would consider a peer sees you as a student."

"Well, since you lost more than ten years to your life, and I've never been what one would call typical, maybe we can just call those years a wash and not worry about that anymore," Lina said lightly, watching him pace uneasily around the room. He was certainly acting atypically nervous, not brash or flamboyant.

"I know you said you didn't want me to stop, uh, pursuing you, but I've, uh, been trying to tone down my…what did you call it?…my flair for the dramatic?" Sirius said hesitantly, needlessly straightening some brushes and tubes of paint.

 _Ugh that ridiculous man makes my cold heart feel like mush._ "Sirius, I…you don't have to tone anything down," she said gently. "I didn't have any right to make demands of you. I was just so used to dealing with people hiding things, and you are an aberration. You are exactly like you present yourself to the world. And it turns out I'm actually…quite fond of that person."

Sirius dropped the brush he was holding and turned to stare at her, searching her eyes anxiously. "Fond as in how one would be fond of a small child or fluffy pet?" he asked gruffly.

Lina swallowed hard and forced herself to walk towards him. "Well, yes…part of the time you actually are a fluffy pet. But more fond in that I spend quite a bit of time thinking about you…in a certain way too."

Sirius' lips quirked up enchantingly, that dashing arrogance back in full force. "Well, well, well. Could it be that my vexing Vixen has at last succumbed to the undeniable magnetism of the one and only Sirius Black?"

"Shut up and kiss me," she whispered.

It took him a surprised moment to process her words, before he crossed the few steps remaining between them. Letting memory and desire guide him, Sirius wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her body flush with his as his other hand buried itself in her long hair, cupping the back of her head. And then he stopped, his stormy grey eyes intense and a little worried.

"I'm not trying to manipulate you," she said. "I would like you to kiss me…if you want to."

Mentally shaking himself for balking, Sirius kissed her, tentatively and then eagerly. It was electric, as if his magic was humming in delight, as it thrummed through his veins. Time stopped for who could tell how long, until finally Sirius breathed out a soft moaning sigh as he nibbled on her bottom lip. "Down, boy," Lina gasped, smiling as she pulled away. "There are far too many people in this house for kisses with that much heat."

"I'll ask Kingsley about us going on an away mission," Sirius growled, as he tugged her, laughing, back towards him and held her tightly, peppering a trail of kisses lightly down her neck.

* * *

A week later, Remus was growing more than a little frustrated. He had made numerous attempts to try and help with Ana and felt thwarted at every turn. It seemed like every time he had his daughter in his arms she was immediately whisked away again because she needed to eat, or nap, or someone wanted to see what darling outfit she was wearing. And Artemis still wouldn't agree to share a room with him, and he had even gone back and clarified that it didn't mean they had to share a bed, just that he wanted to be available to help so she could get more rest.

The final straw came the day Ana turned one month old, apparently she was entering another growth spurt or something and her sleeping schedule had disintegrated around the need for more food, and her insistence on only sleeping when someone was holding her. Artemis slogged through the day like a zombie, dozing off in the middle of lunch and at each nursing session. So Remus decided the time had come to intervene, and after a whispered explanation to Sirius and Lina, left to run an errand in Diagon Alley.

After dinner, Artemis trudged slowly up the stairs to change Ana again and try to put her down for her last nap of the day. She opened the door to her room and promptly stumbled into knee deep water. A Weasley Wizard Wheezes Portable Swamp had consumed her bedroom; tree branches and vines crawled across the beds, and something that looked suspiciously like a snake swam past her leg.

"Wha…what on earth?!" she sputtered. Sloshing back out of the room she bumped into Sirius, who was looking at the disaster of a room admiringly. "What happened in here?!" she shrieked at him. "Who could possibly be idiotic enough to open one of their swamps inside a house?!"

"It's pretty good though," said Sirius thoughtfully. "It even knows to stop at the doorway and not spill into the hall."

"That…that's not the point! My room is ruined! Ana's bed is under water!" She stopped abruptly and glared at him. "Sirius Black if you had something to do with this I swear I will…"

"No, it wasn't me!" he cried, holding his hands up in surrender. "I solemnly swear I did not put the swamp in your room and activate it."

Artemis studied him suspiciously. "That's very specific. If you weren't responsible for the swamp, then just what part did you play in this?"

"All I did was help pack up your things and move them into Remus' room," he replied, grinning. "The swamp was his idea!"

Lina came up the stairs behind him and rolled her eyes. "I thought you'd last longer before giving up a fellow Marauder."

"My dear Vixen, sometimes escaping the repercussions of a prank means walking away without getting credit for it."

"A prank!" Artemis cried in disbelief.

"Well, it's more of an intervention than a prank. You're exhausted, and Remus…"

"REMUS LUPIN!" Artemis screeched. "You get up here right this minute!"

Remus joined them on the landing so quickly, it was pretty obvious he'd been listening nearby. His expression was wary, but determined, as he approached her. "Artemis, you aren't letting me help…"

"I can do this!"

"…just want to help."

"I've let you help!"

"Ana is my daughter too…"

"You can't just come in and take over!"

"I'm not trying to take over! You are running yourself into the ground trying to manage everything."

"I'm just a little tired! What kind of a person destroys a room trying to have things their own way?!"

"It's not about having it my own way! You keep shutting me out! You wouldn't listen and I've had enough!"

"How dare you patronize me like that you…you supercilious…scruffy looking nerf herder!" Artemis shrieked. "I…I…" Artemis' voice abruptly cut off as Remus shot a silencing spell at her.

"When I figure out what that means I'll come up with a crushing reply," he said in a forcibly calm voice. "Now this is no longer up for discussion, and I'm disappointed that you're refusing to be reasonable. I love you, and I will not stand by and watch you exhaust yourself because you won't let me help."

Lina and Sirius watched the exchange wide-eyed, and Artemis grew even more angry now that she couldn't speak. She yanked her wand out of her hair and silently shot a spell of her own at him. Sirius couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped him as he watched Remus become the victim of a bat-bogey hex. Remus appeared more exasperated than angry, as he quickly disarmed her and cast a _Finite Incantatem_ on them both.

"You can be as angry with me as you'd like, but I will take care of Ana until it's time for her to eat again, and you are going to bed, _now_."

Still seething, Artemis stomped down the stairs to his room and flung herself into the armchair, not looking at Remus as he came in after her and closed the door. He managed, if not very skillfully, to change Ana's diaper and dress her in a clean pair of pajamas. "I've heard there are men that trip all over themselves trying to respond when a woman pouts, but I can assure you I am not one of them," he said, even though part of his brain was frantically trying to think of a way to pull her out of the bad mood and get her to understand why he was doing this.

"I didn't think it would be this hard," Artemis muttered, her eyes stinging with tears. "Ellie and Jane talked about babies not sleeping well and needing to eat all the time, but…it's been weeks. I thought…I thought it would get easier with time, but whenever I think I have her figured out, she changes…and I'm just _so_ _tired_."

It hurt his heart to hear her sound so defeated. Setting Ana down in her little basket, Remus came and knelt in front of Artemis and cupped her face in his hands, gently forcing her to meet his eyes. "You are doing an amazing job," he said firmly. "And you will still be doing an amazing job if you let me take care of her for a little while so you can rest. I'm sorry if the way I did it was heavy handed, but I…I love you too much to let you carry on like this."

There was a light knock on the door and Kreacher entered the room with a tray. "Kreacher has brought his Mistress tea like the Half-Breed asked," he croaked proudly. "And Kreacher has brought his Mistress her favorite sandwich and some chocolates because the Half-Breed didn't think about that," he added, glaring a little at Remus.

"Thank you, Kreacher," said Artemis, trying to bite back a smile, as she hurriedly wiped away her tears.

"Yes, Kreacher knows Mistress likes the raspberry jam best," his deep voice crooned as he made his way over to Ana's bed. A long bony finger reached out and stroked her hair delicately. "And Kreacher will know the little Mistress' favorites too. Kreacher's little beastie will only have her favorite things, even if the Half-Breed can't afford them."

"That's a charming promise, Kreacher," said Remus tightly.

Artemis clapped her hands over her mouth, trying not to laugh as Kreacher glared at Remus again before disapparating out of the room.

"Now who's pouting?" Artemis whispered as she lightly brushed his hair back from his face.

"Well I don't much like being reminded that I'm as poor as a church mouse by an antagonistic house elf."

"You know I've never quite understood that phrase. Between the potlucks and the communion bread, church mice should be reasonably well off."

Remus snorted and shook his head, then looked back at her, with a solemn expression. "If you really don't want to stay I'll clean up the swamp and put everything back, but…I would very much like you to stay."

Artemis studied him for a moment before nodding. "I'll stay," she said softly. And then she very slowly leaned forward and placed a light kiss on the corner of his mouth. Remus wanted nothing more in that moment than to pull her out of the chair onto the floor and kiss her breathless, but he settled for running his fingers through the soft strands of hair framing her face and cupping her cheek again.

"Go to bed," he said in a low voice. "I'll bring Ana back when it's time for her to eat."

* * *

One evening late in the month, Joshua found Daisy sitting on the roof, back against the greenhouse, looking over the city skyline. "What do you see?" he asked softly, sitting down beside her.

"Nothing's flying around, if that's what you mean," she sighed. "They're all down there," she added, gesturing to the city streets below, "Busy with the masses… And yours and mine are behind us. They're trying to give me a little break, I think."

Joshua nodded and leaned his head back against the wall of the greenhouse, closing his eyes and breathing in the soft scent of Daisy's perfume. Gardenias he thought it was, something soft and flowery. His eyes startled open as he felt her take his hand, sliding her fingers between his own and pressing palms together, letting their hands rest on the ground between them. How could the simple act of holding her hand be perfection and wholly inadequate all at the same time? "What do you think about Professor Snape?" he asked, trying to distract himself from contemplating how soft her skin was.

"He's…complicated," Daisy answered.

"The day Ana was born you said he had an enemy muzzled. That's good, right?"

"Yeah, his warrior is powerful and fights very hard for him. He's been fighting for a long time. But muzzling an enemy isn't quite the same as defeating it…it's more like it's temporarily subdued. And it was only one enemy he had muzzled. The other was still there, but really, the Professor was trying so hard…" She paused and picked nervously at the leg of her jeans. "I know I'm not explaining it well…"

"Don't say that," Joshua admonished, squeezing her hand. "You're still learning, and you just need some practice. Here…practice on me. Tell me what you saw and what it means."

Daisy thought for a brief moment that she might cry. How was he able with his few, soft words and occasional touches able to fill her heart to bursting? It almost scared her — the depth and ferocity of her feelings for him. Blinking to force the tears back, Daisy took a deep breath and cleared her throat before answering. "So the muzzled enemy was unforgiveness. I think muzzling it allowed Professor Snape to help Mr. Black when he asked for it, for Artemis. But it's not muzzled all the time."

"And what's the other enemy?" Joshua asked as she paused.

Scrunching up her face as she tried to find the right words, Daisy had a sudden image come into her mind. A king sat in a great throne room, courtiers and lords coming to petition him for various things. Suddenly a small boy darted around the legs of the great men, and ran right up to the throne, throwing himself in the lap of the king. There were gasps and whispers as the great men waited to see how the king would handle this affront, but the king only let out a delighted laugh as he embraced the boy and settled him on his knee, giving the child his undivided attention.

"Identity," she said in a firm voice, turning to look at Joshua as a beautiful smile lit up her face. "The Creator of the universe saved us and gave us a position in the supernatural order of things, just like we were adopted by Papá and Mamá and now have a position in their family and the corporation. You know, somebody that works in one of the silver mines or in an office somewhere would probably be a little afraid to come up to Papá and ask him for a favor. But he's _our_ dad, so we're in a position to really know him — to know his love and sense of humor and tremendous protectiveness. If we're having a bad day, or get into trouble, or are scared about something we can go to him and not approach him like…like an employee or servant, but as his son or daughter. And it's supposed to be the same with the Creator. But people don't know that. So this enemy lies. It says you're not from the right family or don't have the right skills to be somebody. It tells you a million ways to try and fit in, and then turns around and says no one will ever love you or want you anyway." Daisy closed her eyes, as though she were trying to catch a memory. "And the Professor spent a long time with the wrong people, trying to convince himself that they needed and wanted him for what he could do, even if they didn't want him for who he was." She opened her eyes suddenly, looking terribly sad. "And he lost the only people who he felt liked him just as he was, and now he feels he has lost his chance to ask for forgiveness…and to offer it."

She looked at Joshua again, hesitantly. "Did all that make sense? See I saw this picture of a king, and…" Daisy broke off in a surprised squeak as Joshua leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Daisy," he said, his voice rough and deep. "Don't ever, _ever_ , say you aren't good at explaining things again, or that you aren't smart enough to do this job. You are absolutely perfect for it."

This time they wouldn't be stopped. The tears spilled out over her cheeks no matter how much she tried to blink them away. And he seemed to understand, as he gently wrapped his arm around her, drawing her closer. She leaned her head on his broad shoulder, and they sat there in silence, watching the sun turn a deep red-orange as it sank behind the tall London buildings.

* * *

Ah...young love! ;) Thanks so much for reading!


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48 ~ March, 1997

 _Sweaty palms. This is ridiculous. I am too old to feel this nervous about a date. Are those heart palpitations? Great. I'll probably drop dead of a heart attack before I even get to kiss her properly. Well at least Sirius isn't forcing me into his clothes again. Those black trousers were a little tight. Wait…is that good thing? Maybe I should ask him. No. No, I can do this. I'll wear these grey ones with the blue shirt and the vest…do I need a tie? No. Effortless, it's supposed to look effortless. What a joke. Effortless would be the brown trousers and the blue jumper and not having to shave. Ugh…that blue jumper. Why did she have to grab that one the other night? She could have mentioned the hormones were causing hot flashes. It may be more difficult sharing a room than I thought if she's going to fall asleep in my clothes, only to peel them off later with only that tank top…Argh! Now I've gone and nicked myself. Focus, man._

* * *

 _Great, my palms are sweating. Gross. I should not feel this nervous about a date. We're living together for pete's sake! Why is my heart racing? I really should have asked Molly to double check the measurements on this dress. I could have sworn she let it out enough. Is it silly to try and wear the same dress as last time? Waist fits ok, but I sure didn't know the top would be so tight. Wait…is that a good thing? Why do people say beauty should look effortless? Effortless would be staying in my pajamas. Ugh…pajamas. He could have mentioned that he doesn't sleep with a shirt on. It may be harder sharing a room than I thought it would be. Argh! Focus, woman! The eyeliner isn't supposed to make you look like a raccoon._

* * *

"It's my first official time to watch Eel all by myself!" sang Sirius, dancing around the front hall with the little girl nestled securely in his arms. She blinked at him sleepily before making a little cry of protest. "And you'd better be good, or they'll never let me be in charge again!" he continued, changing keys abruptly.

"Sirius, you do realize there are fifteen other adults in the house with you, right?" Remus asked him skeptically as he came down the stairs. "Do I leave the vest buttoned or unbuttoned?

"But they aren't in cha-arge!" he sang back, twirling around. He paused and studied Remus for a moment. "Buttoned," he said, nodding.

Remus took Ana from Sirius' arms and cuddled her. "Don't worry, my sweet girl. The others will make sure Uncle Padfoot does exactly what he's supposed to do. And if he screws up we will revoke his godfather status."

"I'm sure he'll do just fine," added Artemis, coming down the stairs herself. Remus heart definitely skipped a couple beats as his eyes swept over her. She was wearing the same red polka dot dress she'd worn last year for his birthday with a pair of red kitten heels. _Merlin, she's got great legs._ Her hair was curled in an old fashioned style that bounced with each step she took. She shook her hair back slightly as she reached the bottom of the stairs, flashing the trail of star tattoos. _Oh…that's not at all tantalizing._ Remus wet his lips unconsciously and forced his eyes back to hers.

"Shall we?" he said, gently handing Ana back to Sirius.

"Ready when you are," Artemis replied, trying to surreptitiously wipe her hands on her skirt just in case.

"So, what are you kids getting up to tonight?" Sirius asked roguishly.

"Oh, you know..." said Artemis, with a mischievous glint in her eye, "...date with a werewolf. We're just going to grab a bite."

Sirius' loud laugh echoed in the hallway, and Ana began to cry. "Sorry, Eel!" he apologized as he began bouncing her gently, trying to muffle his laughter.

Remus wanted to both flinch and smile at her remark, but finally settled on looking Artemis up and down before remarking, "You do look good enough to eat."

The raven haired witch that had so completely changed his life blushed a bright red, snickered, and cleared her throat delicately before saying, "Then we should go before you lose your appetite."

The pair kissed Ana good night and walked out into the starry twilight, while Sirius wiped away a pretend tear, closing the front door. "They grow up so fast," he sniffed.

* * *

An enthusiastic Pierre met them at the door of the small restaurant where they had celebrated Remus' birthday the year before, kissing Artemis soundly on both cheeks before wringing Remus' hand. "Ah, Mademoiselle Lionne! Welcome back! And my _maman_ has told me of your news. My heartiest congratulations to you, Sir! A baby reminds us of all the good in the world — love and joy and hope!"

"Th…thank you," said Remus, trying to inoffensively extricate his hand.

"Come, come!" Pierre cried. "We have, of course the best table for you. And may I recommend a wine to start?"

"None for me, thanks. I'm on the wagon," said Artemis, shaking her head, as Pierre pulled out her chair.

Remus looked surprised. "I thought I heard Ellie say a glass of wine now and then wasn't anything to worry about."

"She did, but I haven't had anything to drink in months, and I just figured I should keep it that way for now."

"Oh, because of the rules on the reservation, of course," replied Remus, nodding. "No wine then." Pierre made a note in his little book, and left to hound a waiter who passed by their table. Remus turned his attention to the menu, looking over it uncomprehendingly. He could pick out a few words; _boef_ was surely beef, and he thought they had this _poulet_ thing last time, which was chicken. Poultry, of course, that made sense. But he sure couldn't made head or tails of how the _boef_ or _poulet_ was cooked, or what might be served with it.

"Actually not drinking had more to do with waking up naked in somebody's bed and not remembering anything that happened," said Artemis, picking up her own menu. There was a touch of anger in her voice, and Remus stilled, not certain how much of that anger might be directed at him. "Such a stupid thing to do, and it was a little terrifying to think…" Artemis broke off, when she saw he was looking down fixedly, and fiddling with the edge of his napkin. "Sorry. I still get a little angry with myself, and I was _not_ afraid because it was you," she amended gently. "I was afraid because I realized it could have so easily been anyone else. What if I'd had those extra shots at the club instead of the house? What if I'd decided to go off with some stranger? Don't get me wrong…that night certainly changed our lives…but it could have been much, much worse. Honestly, that morning part of me wanted to just stay and see..." she broke off again and finished a little sheepishly, "So I'm currently steering clear of all alcohol for now."

Remus nodded and squeezed her hand. "Understood. Let's try a lighter topic of conversation, shall we? Um…how about family? No, sorry, that's not a bit light, is it? School? Was Transfiguration your favorite subject? Or what about your House? Do you think Wampus is the equivalent to Gryffindor?" He stopped abruptly realizing he was starting to ramble. Letting out a slow breath, and running his hands a little nervously up and down his thighs, Remus looked at Artemis. "I guess I'm pretty rubbish at this," he said, trying to discern if she thought he was making an absolute fool of himself at the moment.

"I'm not great at dating either," she confessed, wrinkling up her nose a little. "I mean, I haven't been on a real date in years. First things were crazy trying to help my brother, and then working with Lina. That lifestyle really doesn't lend itself to meeting nice or stable people. There was one guy back at MCUSA that I think was maybe working up the courage to ask, but then I was transferred here, and…well, here we are."

They were interrupted by Pierre hovering zealously over the waiter as he brought a bread basket and a pitcher of ice water. After discussing Pierre's recommendations, they decided on the more familiar _ratatouille._ A few moments of silence then fell as the two helped themselves to bread, alternately focusing on spreading butter on the steaming rolls and glancing at each other, only to smile shyly and look away when they made eye contact. "So, I think school is a good place to start," offered Artemis, taking a bite.

"Right then. You said you were in the Wampus House. What are the others and what traits do you think made Wampus right for you?" Remus bit into his piece of bread and waited for her to answer.

Artemis laughed and had to grab for her water before she choked. "That sort of went from awkward date to job interview."

"Oh, sorry," Remus replied, his cheeks pinking a little.

"No it's fine. The other Houses are Thunderbird, Horned Serpent, and Pukwudgie…all creatures native to North America. I don't think they exactly line up with your Houses. Ours are said to represent different aspects of what it means to be human — so Thunderbird is the spirit, Horned Serpent is the mind, Pukwudgie is the heart, and Wampus is the body. We're supposedly the House for warriors."

"Hmmm. Well, I think that certainly fits, although I could see some Pukwudgie in you too. You go above and beyond to try and take care of people."

Artemis smiled. "But that's just what makes me a Wampus. If your spirit determines what you believe, your mind determines what you think, and your heart determines what you feel, a true Wampus will tell you none of that matters if your body isn't going to go do something about it."

"Point taken," Remus chuckled. "That actually explains quite a few things about you. All right then, what did you enjoy most about school?"

With the initial awkwardness out of the way, the two settled into a more comfortable rhythm, discussing their time at school, the war effort, and Artemis' experiences on the reservation. As the conversation touched on their various housemates, Remus mentioned Sirius giddily telling him about kissing Lina. Artemis stared at him with wide, surprised eyes. "You're kidding! Lina didn't mention anything. Wow…He must have really pierced her armor somehow. This is…Remus, you just don't know what a huge thing this is!"

Remus smiled at her excitement. "Padfoot always swore he'd wear her down eventually."

Artemis laughed and shook her head. "Remus, nobody wears Lina down. She…she has her own force field. If she doesn't want you to get close, you aren't getting close. I think this is really good for her. She's so intense…Sirius can balance her out a little."

"I know the two of you met through MCUSA, but what exactly was it that brought you two together?" Remus asked, between mouthfuls of the savory meal.

Glancing quickly around the room as if she was making sure they wouldn't be overheard, Artemis leaned forward and whispered, "The Okefenokee Grindylow Massacre of 1989." Remus almost didn't hear her. When she leaned forward it became obvious that the top of her dress was a smidge tighter than he remembered it. And he was then instantly distracted by those tattoos trailing down her neck to her chest that seemed to wink at him through the curtain of her hair. Really, it was becoming ridiculous how fascinated he was by those little stars.

"Sorry, you said the…the Grindylow Massacre?" he asked, tearing his eyes away and reaching for his water glass.

"That was when Lina realized she couldn't work for a government and that she could trust someone other than herself." Artemis said nodding and sitting back in her chair. "A smuggling ring had wiped out the largest colony of Grindylows in the country, trying to collect their eggs to sell for black market potions. We knew which cartel was involved and finally tracked down the leaders in Panama, but between extradition requests that were continually denied and legal loopholes, it became obvious no one was going to be prosecuted for it. So she took a couple days off, traveled down there, and took care of it. I still don't know exactly what happened. But she came back, it's splashed all over the newspapers that these high ranking mafia thugs have been found dead in the canal, and a huge donation is made to a Grindylow Preservation Fund."

"And how exactly did that help her trust you?" Remus asked confusedly.

"When we were questioned about it, I said Lina had been with me all weekend. That we'd gone out to lunch and gotten facials, seen a movie… She just stood there, cold as ice the whole time I was talking. Later she was almost angry about it, asking me what in the world I thought I was doing, and how was I going to be able to back up all those lies. I told her all we needed were a few good memory charms for the employees we supposedly saw. So we took care of that on our lunch hour and never spoke of it again."

"And no one ever found out?"

"I'm pretty sure Apollo knew, but he could hardly fault me for covering for her, when that's what I was doing for him all the time. Others probably suspected, but they couldn't ever prove anything. And Lina and I have been friends ever since."

"But what made you cover for her to begin with, if you weren't friends?" asked Remus, resting his chin in his hand as he studied her. "Why take the risk?"

Artemis took the last bite of the delicious meal, before setting her spoon down and focusing intently on the man across from her. "Sometimes you just know that a person you meet needs you. For all her grey areas, Lina has an incredibly strong sense of right and wrong. She needed someone to recognize that in her."

"But…even if they were brutal criminals…is murder justified?" asked Remus skeptically.

"Oh it wasn't murder!" said Artemis in surprise. "There was a fight, and they underestimated her. Lina may lie, cheat, steal, fight and manipulate, but she has her own pretty strong code she follows. Honestly, she's harder on herself than anyone else probably would be." Reaching across the table and taking his hand in hers, Artemis ran her fingers over some of the scars on his wrist. "She's little like a certain werewolf I know, who used to think who he was precluded someone from caring about him."

Remus tried to smile, but was afraid it came off more like a grimace. They were distracted again by Pierre, and Remus gave a little cheer internally when he saw the eager young man was carrying that unbelievably scrumptious chocolate cake he remembered from last year. Artemis smiled at his barely concealed enthusiasm. He was about to scoop the raspberries from his slice on to her plate when he stopped, and speared one of the plump red berries on his fork instead. Leaning towards her, Remus silently held out the offering. Artemis paused for a moment to look at him. As trite and conventionally romantic as the gesture was, she bizarrely felt like this was a moment that _mattered_. It was one of the few blatant indications he was trying to give that meant he was fully vested in her, in them. Placing her hand over his own, she guided the fork to her mouth, soft pink lips closing over the berry and sliding it off. Remus' own lips parted slightly as though he were about to say something, but he didn't, just looked at her with a tender expression before focusing on his slice of cake.

* * *

After Artemis argued half-heartedly with Pierre about the entire meal being complimentary, they made their way downstairs to leave the restaurant, the dance music calling to them softly. Remus glanced down at his wrist watch and then looked at Artemis inquiringly. "I think we could stay for a couple dances, don't you?"

"Absolutely," she replied, smiling happily. "You owe me at least two."

Artemis felt him place his hand on the small of her back, guiding her smoothly though the crowd, and shivered when he felt him lean closer and his warm breath puffed against her ear. "My darling girl," he whispered, "I owe you much, much more than that."

As he led her onto the dance floor, they both would have said they were a strange blend of nervousness, excitement, and an undeniable feeling of being _home_. Remus wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him as a new song began. Artemis felt more than heard the wry chuckle he gave when the low, sultry voice of the band's singer began.

 _Long ago, and far away  
_ _I dreamed a dream one day  
_ _And now that dream is here beside me  
_ _Long the skies were overcast  
_ _But now the clouds have passed  
_ _You're here at last  
_ _Just one look, and then I knew  
_ _That all I'd longed for, long ago, was you_

Artemis rested her cheek against his chest, feeling his heartbeat pulse against her. She was in a swirl of sensory input. His scent, his warmth, the soft sound of his steady breaths almost in time to the music lulled her into a tranquil stupor. She felt him place a soft kiss on the top of her head as the song ended, and she blinked up at him dazedly. The next song that began was faster, with a tribal sounding drum solo that kicked it off. Artemis belatedly saw the wicked gleam come into his eye as he grabbed her hand and pulled her off to a more open section of the dance floor. Before she quite knew what was happening, Remus was leading her expertly through the steps of the Lindy Hop, and Artemis was very thankful she'd chosen the shoes with the low heels.

Her skirt flared out from her knees has he spun her away from him before pulling her back in. A delighted smile lit up his face, and Artemis laughed. Her feet moved faster than they had in months, trying to keep up, and she was vaguely aware that the other patrons of the club had shifted away into a semi-circle to give them more room, and were watching them. Remus half wanted to stop and move off the dance floor as the other people began to stare, but the voices in his head that sounded very much like James and Sirius were urging him on. The heady scent of vanilla became stronger as her body temperature rose, and some absurd adolescent need to show off for her spurred him to grab Artemis and hoist her onto his hip. Her momentary panicked expression made him want to burst out laughing, but she quickly cottoned on to what he was doing and wrapped her legs around him, leaning backwards trustingly as Remus turned them in two fast spins. As he pulled her back up and her feet found the floor, Artemis called over the loud music and spontaneous applause from the crowd, "Don't you dare do that again!" Remus laughed and grabbed her hands, finishing the dance with a flourish. The two stood there for a moment staring at each other, smiling and panting, as the room erupted into applause around them. Artemis flung her arms around his neck, and hugged him tightly.

Remus felt a little delirious as he took her hand and led her off the dance floor to a table. He went to the bar, taking a moment to compose himself as he ordered two tonic waters with lime. When he returned to the table, Artemis was adding a touch of powder to her flushed and shining cheeks from a small compact. She greeted him with a bright smile, and thankfully accepted the drink. She held the icy glass against her collarbone for a moment, and Remus forced himself to look away from the drop of condensation that clung to one of her inked stars. "That was…well, incredible doesn't seem to do it justice. That was the most fun I've had in I don't know how long. I…just…well…wow," Artemis managed to fumbled out.

"It is certainly the best first date I've ever had," Remus agreed, just managing to not smirk at her dazzled expression.

Artemis raised her eyebrows and then narrowed her eyes at him sternly. "This had better be the last first date you ever have, Mister Lupin."

Remus chuckled and reached out to take her hand. "That's precisely what I'm planning on, Miss Scamander."

* * *

Remus opened the front door, and ushered Artemis back inside Twelve Grimmauld Place, his hand again resting lightly on the small of her back. Stepping into the front hall, they saw Lina sitting on the stairs talking quietly with Xander. The two smiled a greeting as they came inside. "Any trouble?" asked Artemis.

With a finger to her lips, Lina beckoned them up to their room, where they peeked in and saw Sirius in the chair, Ana snuggled up to his chest, both of them sound asleep.

"So everything went well, then?" Remus whispered as they stepped back into the hallway.

"He'll crow about this forever, but…he was actually brilliant at it," whispered Lina back, her eyes shining.

* * *

** Thanks so much for reading! Credit for the line about grabbing a bite with a werewolf goes to my sister-in-law. :) Guest, so glad you liked Remus with the swamp - funny and desperate was just what I was aiming for. I love getting to play around with how a mature Sirius might grow and change...you know...since I didn't kill him off. ;) Daisy and Joshua are quickly becoming my favorites, unless Isabel is stealing the scene. And for anyone out there who's read this far, Daisy's image of the king and the little boy is precisely how God feels about you. Truly.


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49 ~ April, 1997

"Ok, folks. We've gotten our training schedules finalized, so starting next week we are hitting the ground running," Kieran announced one day at lunch. "Until then I think a little treat is in order. You can all divide up and decide what sort of outing you'd like."

"Karaoke!" cheered Sirius, pumping his fists in the air.

"YES!" yelled Isabel jumping from her seat to give Sirius a high five, "I'm in!"

Everyone else gathered around the kitchen table stared at the pair in amusement. Artemis caught Remus' eye and blushed. Remus couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. Their last karaoke night may have ended unexpectedly; he honestly still couldn't remember anything but a few fleeting and admittedly intriguing flashes, but given that the woman he loved was miraculously here beside him holding his daughter, he could feel nothing but affection for that karaoke bar, the entire premise of karaoke, and whatever Japanese genius had thought up the idea in the first place.

"Whatever you pick just keep six or less to a group, so we don't draw attention," added Kieran.

"We actually don't have to worry about that anymore," said Lina. "The Ministry isn't concerned that you're going to run off or cause trouble as long as we take reasonable precautions."

Kieran looked surprised. "Great Britain is certainly more benevolent than I expected," he said, shaking his head.

Sirius and Remus exchanged a look, but Lina's face was schooled into a carefully blank expression. Artemis looked from her to the others, before focusing back on Lina. "What did you do?" she asked, keeping her voice light and conversational.

Lina sighed. "There were far too many people involved getting you lot over here, so a little…clean up was necessary, that's all. I sent in some wet work specialists."

Xavier choked on his mouthful of food, and Artemis patted him on the back. "Don't worry, Xavier. Magical wet teams specialize in memory charms, not assassinations."

"You…you obliviated the Minister of Magic and the President of MCUSA so no one would know we're here?" asked Gareth, his eyes wide.

"The Ministry is struggling," said Lina frankly. "It wouldn't have been long before Scrimgeour remembered what we set up and attempted to use you. Panicky people do foolish things. Panicky governments are worse. This way you are now completely free. Kingsley should finish up putting all the falsified paperwork in place this week. The only ones who know you're here are the Order."

"But if MCUSA thinks we're still on the reservation, won't that cause problems when they check in or bring someone new?" asked Kieran solemnly, his Alpha rising up as he sensed the confusion among his pack increase.

"It did get a little complicated," said Lina with that same blank expression. "So we erased you — been working on it for three months. Instead of being imprisoned on a werewolf reservation, the rest of the world thinks you each immigrated to the UK the year you were infected."

"They wouldn't have let me immigrate with a record," said Xander softly.

"It was expunged," said Lina. "As far as anyone remembers…you stayed home and took care of your mum until she passed away. Then you and your brother decided to start over somewhere else."

" _Increíble,"_ said Rosa softly. "That was all very difficult to do."

"Quite an undertaking," agreed Remus. "How did you manage it?"

"Who did you use?" clarified Artemis.

"Biggs and Wedge over here with Kingsley's help," said Lina. "Antilles and Akbar in the States. Oscar helped set that one up. He's got someone close to the oval office. They'll be wiped next week."

"Look at you, coordinating a team…who would've thought…" Artemis said teasingly.

Rosa turned and gave Oscar a look. "You never said a word!"

"I didn't really know what they were doing!" protested Oscar. "She asked if I had a contact in New York, so I set her up with Fernán."

"What do you mean, wiped?" asked Xavier.

"After they do their job and get paid, they report back and have their own memories altered. Then they won't be liabilities," answered Artemis.

"That's all very…Winter Soldier," said Xavier, a little uneasily. "They don't mind you messing with their heads?"

"No one's ever complained. I pay very well," said Lina a little defensively.

"Those names…those are all Star Wars characters," said Xander curiously.

Lina shrugged. "You've got to get the code names from somewhere. And they're kind of obscure Star Wars characters. How'd you know?"

Xander sighed nostalgically. "I saw each movie six times."

"Me too," said Artemis and Kieran in tandem. Kieran smiled and then turned his attention back to Lina. "What about the kids? Their other families?"

"According to the new Ministry records, Gareth Travers, Catherine and Isabel Rosier, Daisy Parkinson, and Joshua Wilkes all died in the last war."

"And what about my Finn?" asked Ellie, running her fingers restlessly through Finn's tousled hair. "If Claudius thinks we're still in the country he'll come looking for us…" Kieran visibly tensed and frowned at the idea.

"You applied for amnesty with MCUSA, left London through a Ministry approved international apparation point on the twentieth of March, nineteen ninety-six, but never appeared at the coordinating US apparation point," explained Lina. "You two are officially not in either country."

A faintly uncomfortable silence fell over the room, as everyone thought through this unexpected revelation. Isabel finally voiced what they were all thinking. "I don't know what I'm supposed to feel right now," she said, pursing her lips and tapping the edge of the table. "I still want to fight, but now I'm not officially obligated to. No one knows we're werewolves, so that stigma's not going to follow us…never been officially dead before, so there's that…I'm an adult, and I guess now I could leave and get a job and be on my own and all that. My own room would be nice…I never had that before. But…I think I'd be lonely. And I like it here. I like the activity and the noise and all the people. But I also miss the forest and the river and…space. And I still feel like I want to pay somebody back for the life they took from me. Is freedom supposed to be this complicated?"

"Sometimes it is," said Sirius. "And you certainly don't have to decide anything today, or even this week or this month. You are all welcome to stay here as long as you want to. I like the activity and the noise and the people too." His smile was soft and understanding. "So how about we table this discussion and talk about karaoke?"

* * *

The gentle spring sunshine warmed the rooftop where Lina was pacing. She hadn't been up here since the Americans had arrived, and was pleasantly surprised by the changes. The greenhouse was repaired, although a few spots bespoke rather amateur repair spells. New plants were popping up out of the soft dirt in the seed trays inside the greenhouse, and looked ready to be transplanted into the raised beds that had been constructed along the roof's edge.

Sighing tiredly, she sank down onto a bench. She'd underestimated how exhausting it was being around so many people all the time. And she was a tad disappointed that all her efforts creating viable coverups that spanned two continents, two governments, and so many various friends and family members hadn't been met with more approval or awe or appreciation or…something. _Don't be selfish. You took away years of their lives and expect gratitude. Why do you care what they think, anyway? It was the right thing to do, so you took care of it. That's your role. And you'd better remember it, because this next phase sure won't earn you any approval. Quit trying to be a hero._

"Are you coming to the karaoke bar with us?"

It took Lina a moment to understand Daisy was standing there with her. "Oh, I don't think so, Daisy. It's not really my thing. I try to blend in and stay hidden, not stand out."

"Mmm," Daisy murmured. "But, you know, I think Mr. Black would like you to go."

Lina waved her hand in the air dismissively. "He gets plenty of attention there, already. They call him the karaoke king. He even has his own groupies."

Daisy smiled, partly sympathetic and partly embarrassed. She wasn't typically one to interfere in other's personal lives, but she probably should have realized situations like this would pop up. The warriors were there to help tend their person's heart and soul after all. Daisy tried not to pry too much, but sometimes a warrior just wouldn't let up until she'd said something about an issue. She knew it made her look a little foolish, but she guessed it was worth it, if it helped people find healing or freedom. That professor hadn't really responded to what she'd said, but Daisy knew she'd struck a nerve. His was a tough situation. It was hard to find forgiveness and closure when the person was dead. She should write to Grams again and ask for some advice on conversations like this. Living the way they did at the reservation, with everyone so interwoven in everyone else's lives, people were extremely careful to allow each person their privacy and not gossip. Grams must have been very diplomatic in how she handled delicate situations.

"You know, it's not a bar for him," Daisy finally said. "It's his church. He sings songs like people light candles...for everyone he's lost."

Lina stared at Daisy in shock. She could feel instantly that what the girl said was true; the words hung weighty in the air. _Why didn't I see that?_ But Lina knew why, deep down. She'd made assumptions about him just like he had about her, then rolled her eyes when he seemed to behave true to form. He was Sirius Black after all - Gryffindor, arrogant, charming, handsome, outgoing. They talked about him plenty at Hogwarts, especially after Voldemort fell and he was sent to Azkaban. Ugh, if there was one thing she swore she'd never be it was a hypocrite, and here she'd gone and accidentally become one anyway.

"I…I see. Thank you, Daisy. Maybe I will go tonight."

* * *

Knowing he wouldn't hear her if he were immersed in his books, Jane opened the door without knocking. Sure enough, Hawthorne was scribbling frantically across the pages of a thick tome, pausing every once in a while to scratch something out. She smiled at his soft mutterings. "Who edited this thing?! It was 1066, not 1076, even a No-Maj knows that! Foregone conclusion…nonsense, William never would have won without the help he got from that coven of wizards near Brittany…author doesn't even mention the dragons!"

"Kieran said you weren't planning to come tonight." Jane called out, as she entered the room with a small tray.

Hawthorne looked from Jane to the tray and back again trying to drag his brain out of the eleventh century and back to the present. "Sorry, what?"

"Kieran said you weren't coming to karaoke tonight. Are you planning to spend the evening with your books?" Jane handed him the cup of tea while she was talking, and Hawthorne took it absently.

"Oh, right...no. I don't mind when the kids play their music, but I really don't want to listen to tone-deaf drunkards try and warble some top forty hit," he said, a look of disgust crossing his face.

Jane made a soft amused sound, and Hawthorne turned in his chair to look at her fully. Her eyes were dull and sad under a bright blue scarf that covered her wild curls, and she had a streak of flour on her cheek. He supposed this was as good a moment as any..."Actually, I was thinking about traveling up to Stratford. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre is showing _Much Ado About Nothing_ tonight."

"Really?" She remarked curiously, her hands busy setting the small plate of cookies out and arranging a napkin beside them. "I thought you preferred the histories... _Coriolanus_ and _Julius Caesar_?

"I do. But you like the comedies," Hawthorne said, his words slow and deliberate. "I thought you might like to accompany me."

Jane turned to him abruptly, her eyes searching his face. "Why?"

"You seem like you could use a night out." He stood from the chair, setting down his cup carefully, and stepped closer to her. "I know what Lina did upset you more than you let on."

Jane's shoulders sagged, and she tried desperately to hold back her tears, but it was useless. They spilled past her long lashes over her cheeks as her face crumpled. Hawthorne gathered her in his arms and held her as she wept onto his shoulder. He could barely make out her gasping, hiccuping words that broke through the sobs. "I would…never…leave him…"

"I know, I know _Zissele,"_ he murmured softly. "Lina was trying to do a good thing; she just doesn't know what it is like to lose a child."

"He'll think…he'll think I abandoned him…that I chose this life apart from him," Jane cried brokenly.

"Shhh…there now. All things can work together for good. If everyone thinks we simply moved away then someday we can move back. We will see our boys in person and explain what happened. That wouldn't be possible if we were still on the reservation. Now here…dry your tears." Hawthorne pressed a handkerchief into her hand, and continued to hold her, rubbing her back gently. When the crying had subsided to a shaky breaths and the occasional sniffle, he stepped back and guided her to his chair. "Sit down and drink this," he said, passing her his teacup, "and we will decide where we will have dinner before we see the play tonight."

"I don't know…Hawthorne are you sure this is the right time to…"

"To what? Friends can't go see a play together?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Is that what it's going to be?" she whispered, her red-rimmed eyes looked up at him with a mixture of wistfulness and anxiety.

"I very much hope not…oh, Jane," he said in a low voice, and she wondered how he managed to make it sound like a caress. "I've spent ten years trying to follow my own rules of chivalry. I wasn't free, and so I committed to care for you and serve you and love you at a distance. But…things can be different now."

Jane took a shaky breath. "Are you sure?" she said, still whispering.

"Please." Hawthorne lightly brushed the flour from her cheek. "Let me buy you dinner and take you to a play. Let me hold your hand as the lights dim, and walk along the canals in the moonlight when it's over. I've waited ten years, Jane."

Jane sniffed, dabbed at her swollen eyes with the handkerchief, and smiled a little shyly. "You can't possibly have been waiting that long. I was a mess those first couple years."

Hawthorne stroked his bushy grey beard, to hide a growing smile. "Well, let's say it's been a solid eight years, then, _Balibte_."

"Are you trying to sweet talk me in Yiddish?"

"Only if it's working."

"Maybe, but your accent is atrocious!"

* * *

Isabel flung open the door of the girls' shared bedroom, startling Catherine, who was standing forlornly in front of their wardrobe.

"Oh good, here you are. So what do you think? Should we all do solo acts, or work something up with some harmonies?" Isabel asked as she came in the room and threw herself down on her bed. "Daisy said she didn't care. Gareth said he was getting in a couple solos since I never let him do the songs he wants to do. Like it's my fault he prefers songs that need a big band to back it up, and we don't have any brass instruments."

"I, uh, I guess I hadn't thought that much about it," said Catherine, still studying the rack of clothes as though she expected it to offer her suggestions.

Isabel lay on her stomach watching her sister for a minute slide a few hangers back and forth as she looked at different tops and dresses, and a sly grin broke over her face. "Hey Cat," she began nonchalantly, "I think you should do that Peggy Lee song, _Fever…_ you know, that sort of low jazzy sounding one."

"Maybe," replied Catherine, not really acting like she was even listening.

Isabel rolled off the bed and came to stand beside her sister. "How about that purple top with the black skirt?"

"That's Daisy's top," said Catherine, pulling out a pink sweater and holding it up.

"She won't care," huffed Isabel.

"She won't, but it would be too revealing. We're not exactly built the same."

"Maybe a little revealing isn't a bad idea," said Isabel, taking the pink sweater out of Catherine's hands and holding the purple top up to her.

Catherine rolled her eyes. "Izzy, I don't want to attract that kind of attention from strangers in a bar."

Isabel grinned. "How about that kind of attention from the man taking you to the bar?"

"What are you getting at?" Catherine asked warily, grabbing the top and hanging it back in the wardrobe.

"Just that a certain tattooed red head is planning to come. You wear that top, sing a sexy song…show him you mean business!"

"Don't be ridiculous. If he didn't show any interest months ago when Papá started discussing the claiming and nobody thought we had a choice, why would he show any now that none of us even have to live in the same city? Besides, it feels tacky, trying to show off like that."

"Oh fine," huffed Isabel, grabbing for a red button-down shirt and denim jacket. "Let's all wear jeans and boots, then. We can do a country song together and throw in that little line dance we made up. Give the Limeys something to talk about…Why is it we call them Limeys again?"

"Hawthorne said it's something to do with sailors eating limes. Besides, you _are_ actually English, you know," Catherine sighed as she pulled on the pink sweater and analyzed her reflection in the mirror.

"Nope. I heard today that English Rosier girl is dead," said Isabel primly. "I can be anyone I want to be."

Catherine smiled as she sat at the little vanity table they'd managed to squeeze in between their beds and picked up a hairbrush. "And just who is it you want to be?"

"Tonight I'm going to be a singer. Tomorrow…who knows?"

* * *

** If Jane's part of the story was confusing, her backstory was mentioned in Chapters 25 and 39. I was trying to point out the difference between characters like Xander, who is relieved to have the uglier parts of his story erased, versus Jane, whose son was told, "Hey, Mommy's sick and has to go away. She doesn't have a choice," and now all he'll remember is that she decided to move away to a new country when he was little. Now, I think for little kids, that's still a grey area, and her son probably struggled with abandonment issues regardless. But for a parent, there would be a difference. Hope that helps!

* * *

** Thanks so much for reading! Guest, yes, their relationship is so backwards! It's making my head spin trying to think through what they need to be sharing to just further their relationship vs. parenting issues vs. hey we're fighting a war. I'm going to try to fit Kreacher in more here and there too, because I think he would be the most sweetly obnoxious grandparent figure. The idea of young Sirius trying to babysit Harry cracks me up. I think he'd be instinctively very good and a complete mess all at the same time. And yes, my sis-in-law is very sweet to put up with me. She also was the first one to encourage me in writing, so it's all kind of her fault. ;)


	50. Chapter 50

** This is a long chapter to make up for the fact that I'll be going to just weekly postings. Life, you know... I am beyond thrilled that so many people are reading this! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Chapter 51 will be up next Wednesday.

* * *

Chapter 50 ~ April, 1997

Lina was fighting hard to hold back her smile. Sirius strutted across the stage in a pair of black leather trousers that had probably been hidden somewhere in his house since the seventies, and she hoped no one noticed his boots, since it would be hard to explain away dragon-hide. They'd been here two hours, and Lina had to admit she was thoroughly enjoying herself.

 _Look at the night_  
 _And it don't seem so lonely_  
 _We fill it up with only two_

Swirling her pretty pink cocktail around in the martini glass, Lina let her eyes travel around the room, and had the misfortune to make eye contact with one of Sirius' biggest fans. She'd been rather ugly with Lina the first time Sirius had brought her here, and Lina had avoided the bar since. Not wanting a repeat performance tonight, the moment they'd arrived, Lina cornered the woman and informed her in no uncertain terms that she'd better keep her comments and her hands to herself, or there would be hell to pay. In response to the woman's glare, Lina lifted her glass in a mock toast and smiled sweetly, mildly enjoying the way the woman's face turned an odd shade of purple. She probably shouldn't wind the poor woman up, but after their initial encounter this evening, Sirius had snuck up and nibbled on her earlobe, whispering how much he liked her take charge attitude, and Lina had been feeling a tad giddy and reckless ever since.

 _Sweet Caroline_  
 _Good times never seemed so good_  
 _I'd be inclined_  
 _To believe they never would_

Sentimental sap. He probably never would get over not knowing her name for so long. The applause was deafening as Sirius finished his song and leaped off the stage. He sure knew how to win over a crowd; no wonder they hadn't wanted to risk a trial all those years ago. Grabbing a drink from the bar, Sirius came and joined her at their now empty table. Isabel, Catherine, and Daisy had taken their places for their song, and Gareth and Joshua had yet to return with their own drinks. Lina craned her neck to see what they were up to, and spotted them talking with Xander, Xavier and, Hezekiah, who had chosen to camp out on bar stools nowhere close enough to be dragged into singing.

The girls were lined up on stage as a raucous western song began, and Lina almost laughed. Dressed in blue jeans and western boots, the girls began their song with a little choreographed line dance, alternating singing each phrase before nailing a tight three-part harmony on the verses. Their wide smiles and bright eyes had drawn the attention of almost everyone in the room, as carefree innocence is wont to do. Sirius drew his chair up close beside hers, and took her hand, pulling it to his lips and tenderly kissing her, reminding Lina of a conversation she'd been avoiding. "Sirius," she said, leaning close to his ear to be heard over the music, "I need to talk with you about something. Can we find a quieter spot?"

* * *

Her heart began to pound as their song ended and the other girls left the stage area. She was on her own; it was now or never. This was so out character for her, Catherine wished she could have her large upright bass to hide behind while she sang. It was one thing to ask quietly to share a dance that no one on the reservation would have thought twice about. It was something else entirely to sing a song so blatantly romantic, and honestly a little seductive, with the intention of staring purposefully at the man to whom she was attracted. At least she hadn't given in to Isabel's clothing suggestions. She would have felt doubly exposed then.

The bass notes started up and Catherine closed her eyes briefly, imagining herself safely in the dining hall on the reservation. Joshua would have been on the drum set behind her, Daisy to her right on the piano, Isabel and Gareth in front on their guitars. Her fingers tightened around the microphone stand, imagining the long neck of her bass. As the music began, her fingers subconsciously positioned themselves as if she was playing the song.

 _Never know how much I love you_  
 _Never know how much I care_  
 _When you put your arms around me_  
 _I get a fever that's so hard to bear_

Catherine opened her eyes and easily found Xavier seated at the bar, who had turned forward to watch her. He held a glass halfway to his lips, as though he'd forgotten it was there, and was staring at her. He was too far away to accurately read his expression in the dim light, but emboldened by the fact that he was at least focused on her, Catherine straightened her shoulders and continued.

 _Sun lights up the daytime_  
 _Moon lights up the night_  
 _I light up when you call my name_  
 _And you know I'm gonna treat you right_

She began to loosen up, shifting her hips slightly with the music, and not gripping the microphone quite so tightly. But just as she felt confident enough to smile at him, Xavier turned away to face the bar, keeping his back to her. Catherine felt her heart sink and a wave of disappointment wash over her, but she couldn't run away and hide, the song was only half finished. Closing her eyes, Catherine decided to just pretend she was alone and finish the song as best she could. Ignoring her was probably as gentlemanly as he could be in the moment to show he was not interested. It had been a silly idea to think she might be able to get this attention this way, and hopefully by tomorrow she'd forget how foolish she felt right now.

As the last notes died away, Catherine opened her eyes to avid applause and more than a few catcalls and whistles. She froze for a moment in shock before flushing in embarrassment and quickly leaving the stage, hot and sticky under the sweater that had earlier seemed so demure. She made her way to a quiet end of the bar and asked for a glass of water, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart.

* * *

"I'm up!" announced Gareth, grabbing his hat, and making his way to the stage. He'd borrowed a fedora from Sirius, and was looking forward to ignoring the rest of the world for a few minutes while he channeled Frank Sinatra and pretended it was 1950.

"I bet it would have worked with the purple top," Isabel said to no one in particular.

Joshua wasn't really paying attention, and murmured something evasive. He was watching Daisy sketch a wolf on a napkin under a full moon.

Isabel ran her finger around the top of her glass, making a soft whining hum. Her eyes darted around the room taking in all the different people. "I need another drink," she announced. "And I think I'm going to see if I can get someone to buy it for me."

Still only half listening, Joshua moved to pull some money out of his pocket. "No, not you," said Isabel. "I mean I'm going to get a man to buy me a drink." Her words finally sunk in, and Joshua just looked at her. "It's a social experiment," Isabel protested. "It's not like I'm going to leave with them."

"Sounds like a potentially stupid social experiment," Joshua finally said.

Isabel grinned at him. "Now, Joshy…what does Hawthorne always say?"

"King Arthur was a Roman, Dementors caused the Little Ice Age, and no one expects the Spanish Inquisition," replied Joshua with a smirk.

"Ignorance…" she prompted, motioning for him to continue.

Joshua sighed. "Ignorance can be remedied by learning. Naiveté can be remedied by experience. But for stupidity there is, alas, no known cure."

Isabel smiled again. "Precisely. And as we all know, I am not stupid."

Joshua cocked an eyebrow at her. "But you are both naive and ignorant, and in a bar."

" _De lo contrario, mi hermano._ On the contrary, I have remedied my ignorance with learning and am about to remedy my naiveté with this experience."

"Where exactly did you learn how to act at a bar?"

"Easy," Isabel piped, sliding off her chair. "I asked Xander." She disappeared into the crowd, and Joshua watched her hop up on a barstool beside a young man with a neon green mohawk and several piercings. He chuckled softly. Trying to dissuade Isabel of something was an exercise in futility. And she was right…she certainly wasn't stupid. Taking a small sip of his beer, which he couldn't decide if he liked or not, Joshua turned back to dividing his attention between Gareth on stage and Daisy beside him. The wolf on her napkin had been joined by a second one, wearing a crown of flowers.

* * *

"Can I buy you a drink, my lovely?"

Catherine looked up in surprise. A tall, handsome man in a nice suit was smiling charmingly at her. "Oh, um, thank you, but I already have a drink," she responded, indicating her water glass.

"Then I'll be sure to get you another when you're finished," he said amiably, taking the seat beside her.

"Oh, well…" Catherine bit her lip nervously. The idea made her uncomfortable, but she wasn't exactly sure why.

"I really enjoyed your song. I've always liked that kind of music: Peggy Lee, Billy Holiday…" He smiled again, and Catherine tried to relax as the conversation flowed into an area she was at least familiar with, though she still felt a little uncertain about being approached by a stranger.

* * *

Settled onto her barstool, Isabel leaned against the counter, and stared at the guy beside her, waiting patiently to be noticed. She saw him look at her a couple times out of the corner of his eye, but he didn't move. Isabel crossed her legs in a manner that she hoped was more suggestive than awkward, and kept staring. After a couple minutes he turned and mirrored her position, staring at her silently. If he'd hoped the rude behavior would put her off, he was going to be sadly disappointed.

"Hi, I'm Isabel," she remarked cheerfully.

"Dead chuffed you are about it, too," he said sharply, and turned back to his drink.

"All right there, love?" asked the barman, coming over them.

"Parched, actually," said Isabel. "I'd hoped that a nice young man would offer to buy me a drink, but they seem to be in short supply at the moment."

The bartender laughed. "You're not wrong. Come on, Nicky, play nice. You're not likely to get a better offer."

Green Mohawk gave a long-suffering kind of sigh and dug some coins out of his pocket. "I hope you don't have expensive taste," he muttered, not even bothering to look at her.

"Don't mind my nephew," said the bartender. "He's not always a numpty."

"I think he seems very interesting," said Isabel. "I'll have one of those nice fizzy lemonades, thanks. Is there enough money for that?"

"This one's on the house," said the bartender, filling a glass.

"Thanks!" exclaimed Isabel, beaming at him. "I will have to consider my experiment a success, even if it didn't play out the way I expected."

Nonplussed, the bartender moved down to help another customer, and Green Mohawk continued to stare fixedly at his drink. "So, I guess your name's Nick, huh?" asked Isabel.

Nick only grunted in response. Undeterred, Isabel took a sip of her lemonade and pushed the pile of coins back in front of him. "I wanted to talk to you, because I saw the instruments set up at the back of the stage, and then I saw you had an guitar case with you, and I wondered if this place let people play for real, rather than just sing karaoke."

Nick fiddled with one of his lip piercings, and Isabel knew she'd caught his interest. "You play?" he finally asked, turning to look at her skeptically.

"Sure do. Acoustic, electric, ukulele, mandolin."

"Country music," he stated, taking in her clothing, and making a face.

Isabel shrugged. "A little of everything. Couldn't really be picky the way I grew up."

"What experiment?" Nick asked, curious and kind of hating himself for it.

"Hmm?" hummed Isabel, taking another drink.

"You said your experiment was a success, but not the way you intended."

"Oh, it was just a social experiment. Would I be able to get a guy to buy me a drink? Clearly I was successful," she grinned, holding up her glass, "But since I'd targeted you and not your uncle, it wasn't what I was expecting."

"Well, you may have been successful, but I'd have to question your taste. Do you always target punks? Most girls give me a wide berth. I've even been told I'm antisocial." Nick lowered his voice as he said it, the words dripping with sarcastic self-mockery.

"Maybe you just haven't found anyone interesting enough to talk to?" suggested Isabel. "And for the record, you're my first target. It's my first time in a bar actually. How am I doing?"

This drew a reaction at least. Nick's eyes grew round before he huffed a small laugh and held up his glass in a salute. "You're a natural, love. Thought I don't think that's really the type of compliment a girl like you should be chasing after."

Isabel clinked her glass with his and laughed. "I'll take it as a compliment for the girl I am right now. I haven't decided yet what kind of girl I'll be later."

Nick frowned a little at that. "Listen, uh, Isabel, right? Look, you seem like a nice kid, but you shouldn't really say things like that to random blokes in bars. It could be…misconstrued…indicating you might be a different type of girl for them later, I mean."

"Oh… _OH_. Wow, ok, thanks for telling me that." Isabel scrunched up her face. "There goes a little more of my ignorance and naiveté."

"Yeah," said Nick, nodding seriously. "Like that guy over there in the blue suit. I see him in here pretty regular, and he'll say just about anything to get a woman to leave with him. But I've never seen him come back with the same woman. Creepy bloke. You steer clear of him."

Isabel turned to see who Nick was talking about, a tall man with a charming smile that was currently aimed at…Catherine. "Oh, _sard_ ," Isabel muttered.

* * *

Sirius huffed a sound of frustration and ran his hand through his hair. "You certainly waited until the last minute to tell me."

"I hadn't quite decided if I'd take the job until today," replied Lina, taking a sip of her drink.

"How long will you be gone?" he asked, and she couldn't tell if his frown was disappointed or disapproving.

"There's no way to know. I'll try to get word to you when I can, but…" her voice trailed off, and she tapped the edge of her glass nervously.

"You don't really want to go, do you?" Sirius asked, his voice suddenly soft.

"Don't do that," she whispered. "Don't turn all sympathetic on me. "This is the right thing to do, and I'm the only one that can do it."

"But why? You haven't even said what the job entails…"

"I don't want to tell you, because you'll try and talk me out of it."

"It's for the Order isn't it?" he asked, a slight edge to his voice now. "Just like Moony. Dumbledore's made you feel like you have to do this for him."

Lina stared down at the table top, tracing the bottom of the martini glass. "Dumbledore pays very well," she finally said. "But yes, it is for the Order."

"Bloody hell," Sirius muttered angrily. "Just when I think I'm beginning to understand you, you do something completely mental. Are you doing this to help the Order or doing it for the money?"

Lina forced herself to meet his stormy eyes, but didn't say anything.

"You know what, never mind. It doesn't matter anyway. How that man manages to inspire such loyalty…"

Lina pinched the bridge of her nose, certain she would have a raging headache before too long. Did he really think so little of her still? She'd been trying so hard…at least she thought she had; opening up and trying to explain what made her tick. And now when it counted he completely missed who she was — that she had to do what was right, even if she didn't want to; that if he bothered to listen he would know to whom she owed her loyalty.

"You knew what my job was when you met me," she said flatly, slipping on her mask of professionalism. "Face it. I'm a mercenary. I'm never going to be that housewife, like Artemis." She stood smoothly to her feet, and headed over the bar.

"Who ever said I wanted a housewife?" Sirius grumbled, before throwing back the rest of his drink and turning his attention to the stage.

* * *

The interaction was turning out to be not quite as awkward as she'd feared when the man sat down. And Catherine had tentatively started to enjoy herself, laughing at the man's few jokes, and feeling a little impressed with his knowledge of mid-century jazz.

"So what's your name, Doll?" he asked, nudging her hand with his own.

"It's Catherine," she said softly, fiddling with her napkin.

"Well then, Catherine, my name's Jack. Make sure you remember that, because you're going to be screaming it later," he said, his smile turning predatory.

Catherine blinked at him for a moment, her brain scrambling to process that information, and feeling slightly nauseous as the full meaning of the terrible pick-up line hit her. "Oh. Well, I think…I think you've made some incorrect assumptions about me…"

"It's all right, love, I like 'em a bit shy," he murmured, running his hand up her arm.

Catherine pulled away. "I would appreciate it if you left me alone now, please. I'm…I'm not entirely comfortable with what you're suggesting."

* * *

Hezekiah caught Xander's eye and flicked his gaze down the bar. "Looks to me like trouble," he said in a hushed voice.

Xander casually turned and watched some flashy guy in a suit try and chat up Catherine. "Listen, little brother," Xander began, clapping his hand on Xavier's shoulder. "Res policy is mind your own business unless somebody's gonna get hurt. So since you've been hurting yourself all this time, and now I'm starting to think maybe hurting Cat too, I'm breaking policy."

"What do you mean, hurting Cat?" Xavier asked cautiously.

"You're so busy trying to ignore the fact that you're attracted to her, you're missing that she feels the same way about you."

"It's just a…a little infatuation."

Hezekiah snorted, almost choking on his drink. "You threatened to get a transfer to a different reservation! That's not a little infatuation."

"No, I…I meant her," Xavier mumbled, blushing. "Look, she has the chance to meet other people now, and I'm managing just fine. Ok? There's not been any problems with claiming, so you don't have to push the issue."

"It doesn't bother you at all that some player is moving in right now, and Cat doesn't look all that thrilled about it?"

Xavier spun around on his barstool instinctively. _Was somebody bothering her? No, she's smiling. The guy is leaning in kind of close. Is her smile forced? I can't tell, the lighting's too dim. She's old enough to know her own mind. She's also sheltered and naive about the world. Did he just run his hand up her arm? Ok, she's frowning and leaning away. That's good. She's not really in any danger; we're all right here. It's probably good that she learns how to handle herself. Just tell him to back off, honey. I should do something. Should I do something? I swear if he touches her again…_

Xander's voice was lecturing again, "…waste of time if you ask me. If you'd bothered to watch her sing that song you'd have realized…"

"Well nobody asked you!" Xavier growled, slamming his hand down, and startling all three of them.

* * *

Catherine wanted nothing more in that moment than a handy hole to crawl into and hide. Her pitiful attempt to get Xavier to notice her had only garnered the interest of this slimy, pushy creep. Part of her brain frantically tried to think of a stern way to insist that he leave her alone, while the other part wished desperately for someone to notice her predicament and come to her rescue. And growing increasingly louder was the wolfish part of her that wanted to growl a warning, and maybe bite him, before running as fast and as hard as she could away from this whole city.

* * *

Further down the bar, Isabel watched the scene unfolding with delight. "No way!" hissed Isabel to herself, as she saw Xavier watch Catherine, turn away suddenly and hit the bar, snapping something at his brother. "Hey," she said brightly, turning back to Nick, "Since your instruments are all set up and ready to go. Can I do a song with you?

"Um, yeah, I guess. But are you going to know any of our stuff? I mean, we just do rock."

"Yeah, your hair kind of gave that away. How about _Ready, Steady Go_ by Generation X. Do you know it?"

Nick gave her a withering look. "I'm not going to bother to answer that."

Isabel grabbed his hand and hauled him off the bar stool towards the stage. "Great! Come on, we need a distraction."

"Why do we need a distraction?" Nick asked, waving his mates over to join them. "Lads, this is Isabel. Izzy, these are the lads. Noel's on drums. Ian's on bass."

"Great. We need a distraction, because my sister is about to start a bar fight and has no idea she's doing it. I'm pretty sure it's good for her in the long run, but we need to keep my brothers focused on me so they don't notice what's going on and get involved too soon."

The pierced, mohawk-styled boys looked at her in bewilderment. Nick twisted the silver bar running through is eyebrow, before giving a confused shrug. "Pretty sure I only caught half of that, but whatever. Ian, plug in your extra guitar for Isabel. We're doing _Ready, Steady, Go_."

"I thought your uncle said we couldn't take the stage until after midnight when things started to die down…" Ian began.

Isabel turned wide pleading eyes on him, "If we don't get up on that stage right now, I'm pretty sure we're looking at a full on barroom brawl. We are literally saving the bar from disaster here." Isabel had been busy unbuttoning her shirt during her little speech and now yanked it off, revealing a rather tight, sleeveless, black crop top.

Nick gave her a wary, but admiring, once over before shaking his head again and turning to the stage. "You're a right strange one, you are."

"Oh, you have no idea," replied Isabel, following him up the few steps.

Ignoring the DJ, who was making protesting sounds from behind his booth, Isabel grabbed the guitar Ian passed over to her, and slammed her foot down on the distortion pedal as she strummed a random chord. Ian glared at her as he moved to quickly adjust the gain against the shriek of feedback. Isabel ignored him as well, as she moved to the center mic, grinning broadly. "Hello, London! My friends on stage here have very generously agreed to let me try singing with a live band, so here goes nothing!"

* * *

As always when she was out away from the house, Daisy found herself trying to navigate normal human interactions as she concurrently monitored a host of supernatural troublemakers. The bar had, thus far, been relatively quiet, and she'd been doing pretty well. But several minutes earlier she'd witnessed a new dark, winged creature enter the room. It hovered near the door, observing for while, before dividing into a dozen or more smaller versions of itself. They scattered among the patrons of the bar, perching on shoulders and hanging from chairs and the ceiling. Daisy winced as the hiss of whispers grew louder, speaking to pride, lust, greed, fear, and anger.

Fear rippled around Catherine, taunting her, before darting over to Xavier and hinting at envy. Pride and insecurity swooped like fluttering swallows between Lina and Sirius. Daisy felt her gut twisted by an onslaught of emotions that weren't her own. She was now completely focused on the supernatural beings, unaware that Isabel was back on stage, the crowd cheering for her enthusiastically, while Gareth began sputtering something about Papá and a heart attack. "Why won't you fight back?" she murmured, her eyes moving over the spectral wolves stationed near their human counterparts.

 _Step into your authority!_ a voice resounded in her head.

"Oh!" Daisy exclaimed. "I forgot about that. Um, as one with authority over the warriors I release you to fight the darkness...Did I say it ok?" There was no audible answer, but her own wolf loped across the room towards Xavier's. The pair snapped and snarled at the now shrieking enemies, flapping around like frantic bats. The other wolves patrolled the perimeter of the room, herding their dark adversaries ahead of them. The Valkyrie-like warriors joined the fray, translucent swords slashing through the air, as they separated the enemies from their humans; pushing them towards the exit.

* * *

 _Ready, steady, go  
_ _Ready, steady, go  
_ _Ready, steady. go  
_ _Ready, steady, go!_

Nick suddenly had the strange desire to laugh, only because of how obvious it was that Isabel was having so much fun. How long had it been since he'd enjoyed something as easily? And the girl was good. The careless way she'd grabbed Ian's guitar and caused the monitors to screech seemed intentional now. She'd caught the attention of everyone in the room, and then held it from the first note. How was this her first time in a bar? She'd be able to get gigs playing just about anywhere.

 _I'm not in love with T'T'T'Twiggy_  
 _Because I'm in love with Cathy McGow-ow-ow-owan_

Isabel's eyes were dancing with mirth, as she effortlessly followed Nick's lead on the song, and still managed to keep part of her attention on her sister. He wasn't entirely sure how them playing was going to prevent a bar fight…out of the corner of his eye he noticed a man with a whole lot of tattoos coming up to Creepy Bloke. _Oh, that's right. We weren't stopping the fight. We were distracting her brothers from joining in…_

Turning his attention back to the crowd Nick noticed a furious looking guy yelling something at Isabel, and did laugh then, almost losing his place in the song when Isabel stuck her tongue out at the guy. _When did music stop being fun and start being so serious for me? I think I've been missing out…_

 _I'm still in love with the Beatles_  
 _I was in love with the Stones_  
 _I was in love with Bobby Dylan_  
 _Because I'm in love with rock 'n roll_

* * *

Joshua felt caught between trying to understand why Daisy had started talking to herself, and calming down Gareth, who was seething over what Isabel was wearing. "Gareth!" he called over the amped up crowd, that was moving closer to the stage as the music started. "Izzy isn't stupid. There must be a reason…" Joshua broke off as he noticed that Isabel kept glancing over to the bar. He stood from his seat to try and see over part of the crowd, and watched with confusion as Xavier shoved Hezekiah away from him and began to push through people towards the other end of the bar. Trying to see where he was headed, Joshua noticed Catherine sitting with a well-dressed man at the bar. The man placed his hand on Catherine's knee and begin to slide it up her thigh…

Grabbing Gareth by the collar, Joshua began to shove through the crowd towards the bar, intending to go intervene, but before they reached her, he saw Catherine jerk away from the man's touch, standing to her feet. "I asked you to leave me alone!" she snapped, her sharp tone hardly carrying across the room. The man let out a string of curses, and made the mistake of grabbing for Catherine's arm just as Xavier reached them.

* * *

 _Ready, steady, go_  
 _All the things she said_  
 _Ready, steady, go_  
 _Wasn't it fabulous_  
 _Ready_  
 _Steady_  
 _Go!_

* * *

Suddenly Xavier was standing there and Catherine could have wept with relief. "Did he hurt you?" he asked, his eyes scanning quickly over her body and then searching her eyes.

Catherine shook her head. "He just…touched my leg, and said…some things," she answered softly, feeling utterly embarrassed.

Xavier clenched his jaw so hard, some of his teeth probably cracked. "I think you owe her an apology," he said, turning to face the man, and trying to stay calm.

"She knew what she was about," the man sneered. "What do you expect?"

"I…I was just leaving to sit with Daisy. There's no need to cause a scene," Catherine said. Her voice was calm, but her hands were trembling, and Xavier felt a white-hot fury crash over him.

* * *

Daisy gasped as one of the creatures gripped Xavier by the shoulders and settled onto his back, hissing into his ear. His wolf grabbed the enemy in his powerful jaws and tugged, but the creature hung on tenaciously.

* * *

"Don't try to blame her for this. How _dare_ you touch her," Xavier growled. "How dare you speak to her that way!"

The man glared back at him. "The little bitch probably broke my foot! You should keep her on a leash."

In spite of her fear and disgust, Catherine cringed when Xavier flew at him. The man didn't stand a chance. The soft crack of a broken nose was followed by a gush of blood. Letting out an undignified yelp, the man stumbled back, but apparently he'd had enough alcohol to render the pain manageable and his sense of self-preservation nonexistent. "Bloody Yanks!" he yelled. "Should have expected that kind of brutish behavior from you lot. You and your slags are no better than animals!

Xander and Hezekiah made a half-hearted attempted to pull Xavier back, but it was too late. Faster than you could almost blink, Xavier landed a powerful right cross on the man's jaw. Blood, a couple teeth, and spittle flew over the sound of his jaw breaking. The man fell back, and Xavier dropped to pin him to the floor, continuing his assault.

Catherine tugged helplessly at his arm, trying to drag him away. She wasn't sure when she'd started crying, but she could hardly see from the tears. Firm, but gentle hands then pulled her away from the chaos, and she blinked up to see Lina. "You all right, love?" she asked, her face stern.

Catherine nodded. "I…I stomped on his foot…when he touched my leg. My boots…I think I broke his toe or something. That's when he started yelling."

"Good girl," Lina nodded. "I wouldn't have expected this from Xavier. What set him off?"

Catherine bit her lip anxiously. She'd only ever heard of one thing that could make a male werewolf that suddenly violent when he wasn't transformed, _claiming_.

* * *

Lina and Sirius quickly shepherded the Americans out the door, throwing some extra money to the bartender, while the drunk man in the suit continued to splutter indignantly through his bloody nose and swollen jaw. The bartender offered him some ice and a free drink, while simultaneously encouraging him to get to hospital and find a different bar to haunt.

Last out the door, Xander turned back for a moment, and clapped his hand on the man's shoulder, digging into it. "You know, my brother…he's more the quiet and reserved type. I figure that's why he has so many tattoos. He can share something about himself without actually talking to anybody. Now me on the other hand…different story. I got no problem talking to people, so I just have one tat. You see it, here? Five dots on my right hand — means I've done time. That translate? I'm the one with a criminal record. So what you should be asking yourself is why? It could be stealing a car, or it could be breaking and entering. It could be assault and battery charges from a bar fight. It could be manslaughter from a bar fight that went too far." Xander leaned in close and whispered in the man's ear, still gripping his shoulder painfully, "Or it could be homicide for following a guy out of bar that looked at me funny and making sure he never looked at anyone that way again." Xander released his grip and stepped back, staring the other man down. "Now our girl could have handled you just fine on her own. But you might run into other girls that ain't so brave. And I promise you, if you behave the same way you did tonight I will make sure you live to regret it…or make sure you don't."

The man looked around wildly, clearly trying to find someone to complain to, but the only ones watching the exchange were Nick and his friends. As the man made eye contact, Nick stiffened and glowered at him, crossing his arms over his chest. Noel and Ian moved to stand, like a pair of bodyguards, and the man darted out the door. Xander gave the boys an appreciative nod, and left.


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter 51 ~ April, 1997

"Man, that was some punch!"

"…be glad you had the presence of mind to react."

"Who's the guy with the mohawk?"

"Are you going to teach us to fight like that?"

"Izzy what were you thinking?! Going up on stage wearing that…that…"

"I'd never seen an enemy like that before."

"…honestly, some men!"

"I don't even know what to call it! It sure as heck isn't a shirt!"

"…too drunk to keep his mouth shut."

"The drummer was kind of sloppy, flapped his arms like chicken."

"Don't you dare mention that to Papá!"

"…should have hexed his bloody bollocks off!"

Cathrine wrapped her arms around herself, feeling chilled in spite of the unusually warm spring air. She kept her head down, ignoring the chatter around her. Xavier too was silent, his hands shoved in his pockets and a deep scowl on his face. He couldn't bring himself to look at anyone on the short walk home, and as soon as they entered the house, he mounted the stairs and disappeared into his room. Lina ushered Catherine toward the steps to the kitchen. "Come on, love. We'll get someone to make us some tea."

The others dispersed into the house, and Daisy was caught off guard on her way to her room by a deep, authoritative voice in her head. _Do you believe the One Who Sits on the Throne has healed you?_

She glanced around at the warriors, who were all watching her solemnly. "The One Who, what? Oh…you mean the Creator? Of course."

 _Are you fully healed?_

"You…you know we are. I wouldn't be able to see you if…"

 _Then why do you not act in faith?_

"I don't understand. I released the warriors to fight. When did I not have faith?"

 _The one who has been set free is free._

Daisy sighed. "You know, I thought I would be helping people, not solving riddles!" she whispered.

* * *

Breakfast the next morning was very subdued. Xander and Xavier were late to make an appearance, and the others were waiting on them to eat, no one really talking. Xander finally arrived and made an apologetic face as he took his seat. "I couldn't convince him to come down."

Isabel frowned. "He shouldn't feel bad. It's not like it's really his fault. Besides," she said, turning to look at Catherine. "I think it all worked out pretty well."

Catherine flushed scarlet, and Rosa clucked softly. "Hush, _niña_. You can't understand how everyone feels."

Isabel made a mulish face. "I'm just saying, it's not like he had a choice. It just…is."

"No man wants to feel he has no choice in his own destiny," said Remus with a rueful smile. "Or woman for that matter. And to be so abruptly confronted with the more…unsavory…side of your nature can be a shock."

"We'll sort it out, kiddo. Don't worry," said Xander, flashing her a pained smile.

Lina took Sirius' hand under the table, and he jumped slightly, almost spilling his tea.

"All right there, Padfoot?" asked Remus, looking at him sidelong.

"Tea was hot. I burned my tongue," Sirius said lightly. Lina's hand gripped him tight, and he glanced at her in concern.

"I leave tonight," she whispered. "I have to start tomorrow."

"Are you sure you need to go alone?" He murmured softly in return. "I could come along as back up."

Lina shook her head imperceptibly. "It wouldn't work this time. I'm, uh, uniquely positioned for this one."

"So, Isabel," asked Oscar from the opposite end of the table. "Did you enjoy your time singing on stage?"

Isabel nodded eagerly, as Gareth made a face and said, "You should have seen—" He was suddenly cut off by Joshua's elbow in his stomach. "This guy she sang with," he finally said, glaring at Joshua. "Green mohawk, lots of piercings."

"He was nice," protested Isabel. "If Cat had met Nick first he would have told her to watch out for that slimy creep."

Catherine felt her stomach twist and bile rise up in her throat. She stood suddenly, spilling her tea and rattling her plate. "I'm…I'm sorry," she sputtered out. "I just…" She ran for the door, racing up the stairs. Reaching her room, she flung herself onto the bed, sobbing, and hating herself for it. A few minutes later she heard the door open and quiet footsteps approached the bed.

"Cat?" Isabel whispered. "I'm sorry if I upset you." The mattress sank down as Isabel sat beside her, and started rubbing her back. "This isn't your fault. Any one of us could have been in the same situation. Heck, it could have been happening to me at the same moment if Nick had been a creep too! But I still think you should look on the bright side. You can be with the guy you wanted. That's good, right?"

Catherine sniffed and sat up, rubbing her eyes. "There is no bright side, Izzy," she said dully. "I sang the song and he turned away from me. All I did was attract the attention of a…a loathsome…creature. Xavier didn't attack him because he's interested in me. He would have done the same thing if it had been you or Daisy. It's just in their nature. He couldn't help it, and now he'll be forced into something he doesn't want. If I hadn't sung that ridiculous song, none of this would have happened…"

"Well, I told you to do it, so that means it's my fault too," Isabel offered sheepishly. "Hey, if it's all too weird with Xavier, I'll let you have Gareth."

Catherine huffed in exasperation. "For goodness sakes, Izzy, they're not toys we can trade!"

Isabel shrugged. "Kieran said they would have a meeting about it today. Anyway, all this claiming business is just to help make men's lives easier. They should be grateful I'm willing to try and put up with any of them."

Catherine laughed in spite of herself. "Gareth should be trying to convince Papá to grant him a stay of execution from you."

"Hurray, snarky Cat has made an appearance!" Isabel cheered, happy she'd been able to chase the gloom off her sister's face even for a moment. "But…I honestly don't understand what the big deal is. All this was half-way decided months ago. Joshua gets Daisy, Gareth is stuck with me, and now Xavier can have you. And listen," she said turning serious for a moment. "Even if Xavier doesn't… you know, feel about you the way you want him to…he does care about you. We're a family. It will all work out for the best, you'll see. Everything else has." A teasing smile crept back onto her face. "Besides, it's not like Hezekiah's going to fight him for you after last night. The guy's merciless—urgh!" Isabel's last statement was muffled by the pillow Catherine threw at her face.

* * *

Sirius and Remus slowly made their way down the steps to see Lina off. She was standing by the front door, a large satchel at her feet. Her hair was pinned up, and she wore a professional looking suit and expensive black traveling cloak. Artemis held Ana in some sort of magical baby wrap thing, and the little girl giggled and cooed as Lina tickled her.

"Hey Moony," Sirius said suddenly.

"Yeah?" Remus answered, distractedly. He got an anxious twinge in his stomach each time Artemis held his daughter up to her chest and let the long swath of enchanted fabric wrap itself around them. He was sure that one of these times the wrap wasn't going to work correctly and let Ana fall with a thump to the floor.

"I'm going to marry that girl."

Remus paused on the step and focused on Lina for a moment before he turned to give Sirius his full attention. "I'll be honest – the two of you teamed up is terrifying."

Sirius grinned, though his eyes were troubled. "Yeah." He nodded. "Yeah, the best kind of terrifying."

Artemis leaned forward and gave Lina as tight a hug has she could with the baby between them. "Now you make sure to send word anytime you can."

"Promise," Lina said, smiling. She ran her fingers through Ana's soft black hair one more time. "You make sure to keep your Uncle Padfoot in line, all right, little miss?"

"I'm already putty in her hands," Sirius said, as he and Remus joined them.

Lina smiled and gave Remus a firm hug. "You take care of these girls, Lupin."

"You have my word," Remus replied, kissing her cheek.

She faced Sirius, taking a deep breath. Remus and Artemis turned away and began talking quietly between themselves to give them at least the illusion of privacy.

Sirius smiled, and ran his hand up and down her arm comfortingly. "You won't be doing anything reckless, right?"

Lina smiled. "Of course not. I'm no Gryffindor. Everything will be very carefully calculated."

Sirius huffed a small laugh, then his face became very sober. "You know, I haven't cared about being a member of the Black family for many years," he said, studying her face intently. "So perhaps, when you're back…um, we could discuss the idea of me changing my name…to Laurent…If you'll have me."

Whatever sort of goodbye she expected, it certainly hadn't included _that_. Lina's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. She opened her mouth to try and make some sort of coherent response, but words failed her. So she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him towards her, kissing him hard and a little desperately. Tears stung her eyelids as she tried to memorize his scent, the feel of his mouth, the waves of hair that were tangled in her hands. He looked shocked when she pulled away, but his trademark smirk was soon back in place. "Is that a yes, then?"

Lina fought to hold back the tears, and took a shaky breath. "Good-bye, Sirius," she whispered. Sirius watched her, dumbfounded, as she grabbed the satchel and walked out the door, the faintest crack sounding through the door from her disapparation.

"What…what just happened?" Sirius muttered confusedly, turning to Remus and Artemis.

"Well, it was kind of…sudden and…nontraditional for a proposal," offered Artemis, wrinkling her nose a little.

Sirius smiled uncomfortably. "Yeah. I, uh, didn't really think that through for more than about a minute. But her reaction wasn't quite…traditional either, right?"

Remus shook his head. "Maybe she's just worried about this job. What's she doing anyway?"

Sirius shrugged helplessly. "She wouldn't tell me. She just said it was the right thing to do and she was uniquely positioned to do it. She…I think she was crying. What kind of a job is this?"

Artemis looked worried. "One she doesn't think she'll come back from," she answered in a tight voice.

* * *

Daisy frowned, pacing up and down the small walkways between the raised vegetable beds on the rooftop. "What am I missing? Are we healed? Yes, of course. Do I believe the Creator healed us? Yes. So where am I lacking faith? We're free. What does that mean? We've been set free from the reservation. Or maybe it means free from the lycanthropy? But I already knew we were free from that!" Staring down at her shoes as she made another round of the rooftop, and not watching where she was going, Daisy collided with Joshua, who had come looking for her.

"Whoa there," he laughed, "You must really be lost in your own head to not see me. I'm a little big to overlook."

Daisy smiled up at him. "What time is it, anyway?"

"Around four I think. Kieran took the other men to have a meeting and decide how to handle things. I think the others are having tea in the kitchen."

"You didn't want to go with them?"

Joshua shrugged, and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I guess I didn't feel like I had anything to contribute to the discussion. Plus, you seemed a little preoccupied on the way home last night, and I wanted to check on you."

Daisy sat down on the little bench outside the greenhouse. "Well, it was sweet of you to pick checking on me instead of going with the others. I hope Xavier's ok. It seems a little bit over the top to have a pack meeting just because he punched some jerk."

"Well, I don't think Kieran's concerned about that guy, just deciding the claimings," replied Joshua, sitting beside her.

Daisy looked surprised. "I thought Papá said we could wait?"

"Well, sure, but in light of what happened, they don't want to take any chances. Last night Xavier thrashed a guy who deserved it, but what if next time it's his brother? Or Gareth? Or Hezekiah?"

Like an echo, Daisy heard a voice softly whisper, _The one who has been set free is free. You have so little faith. Why do you doubt?_

Daisy huffed in frustration. "Come on, girl, think!" she muttered to herself, squeezing her eyes shut.

Joshua watched her silently, his brows furrowed. He wished he knew better how to help her. _I wish I could see what she sees_. A flutter of movement caught the corner of his eye, and Joshua turned his head, expecting one of the pigeons or sparrows that regularly stopped by, trying to nest in the eaves of the greenhouse. Instead he came face to face with an enormous werewolf. His heart leaped in his chest, but he held very still. The wolf sat before him, and looked like it was maybe trying to smile. Joshua glanced at Daisy, but she still had her eyes closed, and was talking quietly to herself. Tentatively, he slowly stretched out his hand towards the beast. The wolf moved as if to nudge his hand, but he couldn't feel anything there. _Are you mine?_ he thought. The wolf nodded, and Joshua took a deep breath, filled with wonder. He only vaguely remembered seeing the wolf when they came to the reservation as children and Grams had prayed over them — more like a dream than a memory.

 _Can I see like Daisy does now?_ he asked silently. The wolf gave one shake of his massive head. Joshua felt a little disappointed. _How can I help her if I don't know what's going on? How can I take care of her?_

 _She is called to one task, you to another_ , a rich voice sounded in his head.

 _So what is my task?_

 _Trust who you are. Trust who she is._

 _She's a Seer, that's easy enough. Who am I?_

 _You are Armour Bearer to the Shield Maiden. She will need you to fight when her battles are unseen._

Joshua felt the air grow heavier around him. He wasn't entirely sure what to make of the strange proclamation, but he felt it was true, whatever it might mean. He had the crazy thought that he ought to kneel down and be knighted or something, to indicate that he was accepting this task, but he just sat there, staring at the wolf until it gave another one of those odd smiles and vanished.

"What are we still slaves to?" Daisy asked suddenly. Joshua startled at the sound, so caught up was he in what had just happened.

"Wh…what?" he asked.

"We've been freed from lycanthropy, right? So what might we still be slaves to? What keeps us from being truly free?"

Joshua just blinked at her for a moment. "Well…we're free from the reservation. We're free from working for the Ministry. We're free from wanting to try and kill people…" Daisy nodded, her faced scrunched up thoughtfully. Joshua thought it was adorable. "We're free from the pain of the transformations," he continued. "We're free from a beast taking over our minds and wills."

"Now what aren't we free from?" she asked, turning to look up at the bright spring sky, shading her eyes against the sun.

"Well we're not free from claiming, obviously. We're not free from the moon," Joshua answered, following her gaze. "We still have to transform on full moons."

"But what if we're supposed to be?" Daisy asked softly. Joshua just stared at her. "What a minute!" she interrupted herself. "Did you say the men were all meeting because they think the fight was about claiming?!"

* * *

The pub was dark and cozy, and under any other circumstances, Xavier would have felt right at home. But today he felt more like he was lying under the harsh light of an operating theatre, ready to have his soul cut open and laid bare for all to examine. He hated what he'd done. He hated why he'd been compelled to do it. He hated that he was at a complete loss to determine how things could have been handled differently.

The men had shoved two tables together and ordered some beers, looking like any other group of friends or work colleagues getting together for a drink. "So," said Kieran gruffly, "we can drag this out or we can make it quick. I'm not here to issue any blame. If you ask me it could have been worse. The jerk deserved what he got, regardless of why it happened. At least the fight wasn't between any of y'all. Oscar, what are your thoughts?"

"I think we would do well to have this settled. Up until a few months ago there would have been no questions, hesitations, or concerns about this decision. I do not see the reason there should be any now."

Hezekiah cleared his throat uneasily. "Oscar, I completely understand where you're coming from, but… maybe this was an extreme circumstance. We were all ready to pound the guy when he started shooting off his mouth. Maybe it wasn't as much about claiming as it was about Xavier's feelings…" he trailed off, glancing at Xavier apologetically.

"Ah, you mean his feelings for Catherine?" asked Oscar, brushing over Xavier's embarrassment. "Yes, this is of course a possibility. The question then is are we willing to risk that? What if any of you are filled with this same overwhelming rage when it is the full moon?"

Xavier felt a fissure of frustration knowing Hezekiah must have already spoken with Oscar about him, but he mostly felt unbearably guilty that the others could be forced to make a decision because of his behavior. The sudden solution popped into his head — he could leave. Lupin hadn't had any of these issues when he was on his own. He could leave the pack, find a job with an electrical company, live a normal life again. _But could you let someone else have her?_ The werewolf within whimpered in protest, but it wasn't a sound or feeling of rage. Xavier didn't understand what was happening at all. Surely it made more sense to feel threatened by the men surrounding him, the ones who could take away what he wanted? But he didn't feel threatened. He felt ashamed, and heartbroken. And it wasn't just about leaving Catherine. He would be leaving all of them, the people who, for all intents and purposes, were his family.

"I'm willing to wait and see," said Gareth firmly. "If you could have seen Isabel last night…she was so…enthralled with everything. She deserves see more of the world, grow up a little more, before she's bound to someone."

"I'm willing to wait too," said Hezekiah. "I want a chance to make something of myself over here. I'm not sure Cat would be happy being dragged around to a bunch of Quidditch matches…Not that I'm saying I want Catherine!" he added hastily. "She's great, but the truth is she's not someone I would have looked at twice before. Our personalities just don't…click. You know?"

"You want Isabel?" asked Gareth teasingly.

Hezekiah grinned at him. "Nah, man, that firecracker is all yours. It'd be a full time job keeping up with her. I'd never get to practice my mean skills with the broom." Gareth snorted and shoved him, sloshing his glass.

"Xander, what do you think?" asked Kieran.

Xander frowned down at his glass, tapping the handle with this thumb. "I appreciate that y'all are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but the truth is, you don't really know what it's like. Before we joined y'all, ya know, when me and Xavier were…more feral, the full moon was terrible. When the…the shadow covers you, you can't remember who you are, and all you feel is…hunger…for blood, for dominance. It doesn't matter who's in your way. If there's even a chance that the need to claim is going to outweigh however else we've been purified…I want no part of that."

"I can leave," Xavier finally said, a rush of relief filling him at finally uttering the words. "No one else is having problems right now, and if I'm not in a pack it won't be as bad, right? If she's not there…"

Xander closed his eyes in resignation. Knowing the right thing to do didn't allay the despair of possibly losing his brother. The other men looked shocked at the suggestion. Of course the idea of starting over had flitted through all of their minds when Lina announced her clean up efforts, but not a one had seriously considered it. Who else did they have if not this family — their pack?

"You need to just ask her," said Gareth suddenly. "If you care about Catherine enough that she was the first one you reacted that way to, then you should ask her how she feels. I think she'd be more than willing to…have you. I think she's been interested in you for a while, actually."

Xavier frowned and began to shake his head. "She's young. She hasn't had a chance to know what she wants. I can't take that chance away now that we live somewhere she can be free."

"Look, maybe it doesn't have to be as…as all-encompassing as you're making it out to be," offered Xander. "I mean, look at Marcus and Alma. They're just friends, nothing more to it than that. Or look at Kieran and Ellie, or Hawthorne and Jane. A claiming doesn't have to include a romantic relationship, right?"

Kieran and Hawthorne immediately looked away, a little sheepishly, and Gareth started to laugh. "Yikes, could you imagine claiming somebody and then meeting somebody else? How would you explain something like that if you met another girl you wanted to marry? Sorry, darling, but this other woman has to come with us on our honeymoon. I love you, but without her I would pine away and die."

Xander laughed, almost choking on the gulp of beer he'd just taken. "Now that's a problem I wouldn't mind trying to handle," he said, laughing, then flinching as Kieran slapped the back of his head.

"I agree with Gareth," Kieran said, "You should talk with Catherine, Xavier, before we decide anything else." Xavier half wanted to argue with him, but the weight of the Alpha's judgement hung over them, repressing any dissension .

Hawthorne, who had remained quiet up until now, patted Xavier's shoulder reassuringly. "It may seem difficult and unjust right now, but good can come from even the darkest situations. Love has a way of surprising us."

* * *

A firm knock sounded on his office door, waking a couple of the sleeping portraits. "Come in, come in!" called Dumbledore cheerfully. The door swung open to reveal a young witch in a black traveling cloak. Her red hair was pinned up severely, and her eyes were wary as she entered. She usually found the soft clicks and whirrs of the strange instruments in the room calming, but today the woman was coiled with tension.

"Ah, Miss Bingley, is it? Please have a seat. Would you care for some tea?"

"I'm sorry sir, but you are mistaken. My name is Paulina Andersson," she answered, setting down her satchel and taking a seat.

"Ah, yes, my apologies, my dear," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "I very much appreciate you expressing an interest in our new intern program. Our professors work very hard, and I'm sure will be grateful for any assistance."

The witch nodded. "I am most interested in assisting with the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. I always achieved top marks in my years at Durmstrang and have plenty of practical experience working as a contractor with Elite Security Holdings in Russia."

"Indeed?" said Dumbledore, looking surprised. "They have an impressive reputation. I heard they are expanding into the Muggle world."

The young witch sneered. "This expansion is why I chose to leave. I have no interest in working for a company that will sell its services to Mudbloods."

One of the portraits began to sputter in offense, and Dumbledore peered at her over his half-moon spectacles. "Indeed? Well I should remind you, Miss Andersson. Hogwarts prides itself on its inclusivity of all magical students, regardless of their parentage."

"My apologies, Headmaster," she said, her eyes cold. "I sincerely hope my imprudent choice of word does not mean I cannot work here. That would be most disappointing."

"Would it?" he asked, regarding her sadly. "I rather had the feeling that you would prefer to be anywhere but here."

The witch's expression was blank. "I wish to be where I can do the most good, sir."

"Yes," he sighed. "People would be inclined to take advantage of your generous nature had you not so carefully crafted your intimidating persona."

Whatever else he might have wanted to say was interrupted by another knock at the door. "Ah, Severus, come in please," Dumbledore said, waving him forward. "I have hired an intern to assist you with your classes. May I present Miss Paulina Andersson."

Snape showed neither surprise nor dismay at this announcement, his face a mask impervious enough to rival the young woman before him. "Has my work not been up to standards, Headmaster, that you feel I need assistance?"

"Not at all, Severus, not at all," cried Dumbledore brightly. "Would you care for some tea? No? Ah well, I'll just take another cup for myself then…No, you misunderstand me, Severus. It's a new teacher training program I'm creating. Clever isn't it? This way you will have someone you can trust with your lessons should you be…called away for some reason, or should I have…other need of you."

"As you wish, Headmaster," Snape answered, a shade bitterly. He pulled a folded piece of parchment from his robes and thrust it in the witch's face. "Here is my class schedule."

"Thank you, sir," the witch replied flatly. "I look forward to working with you."

"Severus, would you please show Miss Anderson to her living quarters? And, Miss Anderson, I think the hair is a bit too orange. Don't you think so, Severus?"

Snape's only reply was slamming the door behind them. They walked the hallways in silence, Snape not even attempting to keep up any pretense of acting as a tour guide. He stopped in front of a door and handed the witch a key, moving to leave her. The witch grabbed his sleeve. "Wait…about the hair…"

She reached up behind her head and pulled out the hairpins, letting the tresses fall down around her face. Snape glanced at her, then away, knuckles cracking as his hands clenched into tight fists. "It…should be a couple shades darker," he finally said, and then abruptly turned and left, his black robes swishing as he disappeared into the darkness of the corridor.

The witch let herself into the room and tossed the satchel onto a nearby chair. Taking a quick inventory of the room, she was relieved to find there were no paintings to watch and report back on her. She sank onto the bed, letting her shoulders slump down wearily. It was going to take more than a different hair color for this to work.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate the reviews! Guest, sorry if that line about what Hawthorne says was confusing. You know how some teachers have their pet theories or facts that they repeat over and over? I just made some up for him, and the line about the Spanish Inquisition is from Monty Python. ;) So glad all those layers of action seemed to come off ok!


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter 52 ~ April, 1997

The slamming of the large front door faintly echoed its way upstairs. "They're back!" Daisy cried, grabbing Joshua's hand and pulling him along behind her. "It's not about claiming!" she cried, as she flew down the stairs, her hair flying behind her. "It's not about claiming!" Daisy said breathlessly, stumbling to a stop at the bottom. "Xavier didn't attack that guy because he was worried about claiming Catherine. There was an enemy…big one…really dug in and his wolf really had a time getting it off…a couple of the others had to help." She stopped suddenly and frowned at Kieran, setting her hands on her hips. "You should have talked to me first before running off to have a meeting."

Kieran scratched at his goatee. "You're right," he admitted. "Grams would have read me the riot act for doing that. So what do you mean, this isn't about claiming?"

"We aren't affected by claiming," Daisy announced, hands still on her hips, grinning at the men a little smugly. "I didn't figure that part out until just a little while ago. We're healed. Completely and fully. The disease has no power over us. I don't even think we need to transform on the full moon anymore. Xavier only overreacted because he was being influenced by an enemy…That's…good, right?" her voice trailed off as she realized everyone was staring at her.

" _Querida_ , can you be certain of this?" asked Oscar cautiously. "We have already decided to hold off on any decisions for the moment, but…"

Kieran nodded, his brows knit together. "You're asking us to ignore everything we've been taught since we became infected. That doesn't seem wise."

"But…they said we were healed and just needed faith," Daisy said quietly.

"Don't worry about it, Daisy," Xavier interrupted, trying and failing to smile reassuringly. "I can take off for a little while and see if that helps. The others don't seem to need to do anything about it yet."

Daisy shook her head in disbelief, as she began speaking faster, hands flying around as she tried to explain. "You don't have to leave…The warriors…they asked if I really believed the Creator healed us, only they said 'The One Who Sits on the Throne,' so I was a little confused as to who they meant at first…And it was just a question of faith. Not that I'm saying we didn't have faith before, obviously we did, or I don't think it would have worked at all…But maybe Grams didn't know about this part, or maybe it was just too frightening when there were so many that came all within a couple years, you know, maybe she had a bad experience with claiming…But they said the one who has been set free is free, and so I really think…"

Daisy trailed off again, her nerves getting the better of her. The stares were partly amused, partly confused, and partly pitying. She wondered for a moment if she had her own enemy perched over her, the voice in her head was so loud. _You aren't Grams. You can't explain things the right way, and they don't respect your gift. It was foolish to think this part of your nature could be turned off like a switch. The enemy could have latched on to Xavier because it recognized the darker side of the lycanthropy was already at play. Are you even hearing the warriors correctly?_

"You have to do what you think is best, of course," she finally said to Kieran, almost in a whisper. She looked around at the warriors, hoping they would tell her something, but they were silent, simply watching the proceedings solemnly.

 _You are the Armour Bearer._ _Will you fight for her?_ Joshua almost jumped at the voice near his ear. He had found himself a little relieved by the discussion, even though he could sense Daisy's disappointment and frustration. He didn't doubt what Daisy was saying, but the thought had crossed his mind that their betrothal was based on the idea that she would have to be claimed by someone. Would she still want him if she didn't have to have him? The thought made him ashamed. Part of agreeing to claim her meant he was responsible for supporting and caring for her. If he stood by and let the other men discount her gift and position as the Seer, that was neither supportive nor caring. He caught Hawthorne's eye at the back of the group, and the man smiled at him. Joshua wasn't sure if his old teacher somehow understand the tumult of his thoughts right now, but it did remind him that the man had loved and cared for Jane for ten years, not knowing if he would ever be able to have her. If he truly loved Daisy, then he needed to do the right thing, even if he lost her in the process.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Joshua stepped forward and placed a hand on Daisy's shoulder. "Daisy is the Seer," he said firmly. "If the warriors told her something, we need to listen. You shouldn't discount what she says simply because it goes against our traditions."

"It's not just about tradition," began Kieran.

"Or because of fear," added Joshua.

Gareth cocked his head and pursed his lips in thought. "Soooo, you're willing to not claim Daisy? Let her be a…what did you call it?" he asked, turning to Xander with a slight smile, "…a free agent? Go out and meet other guys?" He turned back to Joshua, expectantly.

Joshua felt Daisy tense under his hand and looked at Gareth askance, of course he would zero in on his insecurity. "I trust what she sees and hears," he answered slowly. "I don't have to claim her anymore. Besides, you have to admit that what she says is logical. Why would we only be partially healed? Why would The Creator pick and choose some symptoms to get rid of and some to keep? If we're still bound to one another because of claiming and still bound to the full moon each month, then we aren't really free. And the warriors told her that the one who has been set free _is_ free."

"Son, it is admirable of you to support her," said Oscar, "and you are right. We are to trust the Seer. I forget sometimes she is not just my little girl anymore," he added, smiling at Daisy and looking to Kieran for his approval.

Kieran studied Daisy for a moment, waiting for some sort of Alpha confirmation of her words, but didn't feel anything beyond the weight of his responsibility. He looked then at Joshua, standing behind her like some kind of bodyguard. That boy was twitterpated, no two ways about it. And yet he was willing to give her up to prove he trusted her gift. Kieran thought back to the night Remus had arrived. One out-of-control werewolf was dangerous, but five? He had to ensure his pack stayed safe, Grams trusted him to be a good leader. Grams…she had also chosen and trusted Daisy to be the next Seer. "You don't think we need to transform on the full moons anymore?" he finally asked her, watching her intently with his dark eyes.

Daisy met his gaze hopefully. "I don't. I think we are only now really experiencing full healing. We just need to have faith."

"No more making decisions out of fear," he said, echoing her words to Lupin on his first full moon with them. She nodded. "Well then, looks like we're stepping out in faith," Kieran said, smiling at her. "And I'm sorry I didn't talk to you before we tried to sort everything out."

The men separated and began to disperse themselves through the house. "Oh, dinner's in an hour!" Daisy called after everyone. "Thank you," she whispered to Joshua. He nodded and removed his hand from her shoulder, shoving it awkwardly in his pocket.

"No problem," he said softly. He was keenly aware that they had never spoken of their feelings for one another, just acknowledged an arrangement. And in that moment Joshua knew he simply couldn't stand there and hear her say something about him no longer needing her. He did need her… desperately, but she didn't know that, and it had already taken everything he had to speak out in front of the other men with such boldness. He was going to have to think of a way to tell her properly, and hope and pray she might give him a chance. "You're the Seer," he repeated. "They need to afford you the same respect they showed Grams." Daisy smiled at him, her warm brown eyes sparkling, and Joshua turned and left quickly, before he said something stupid. Daisy watched him walk away, a puzzled frown crossing her face.

As the others were moving to leave, Gareth grabbed Xavier's arm, "Hey wait a minute. I still meant what I said. You should talk to Catherine."

"I meant what I said too," replied Xavier seriously. "She hasn't lived enough to know what she wants. I won't take that chance away from her." He pulled his arm away and began to walk towards the staircase.

"That's a pretty condescending attitude," Gareth called after him. "No one questions whether Joshua and I are experienced enough to know what we want. Look," he continued in a quite voice, catching up to him on the stairs, "I know it might be…confusing…feeling this way about her after you sort of watched her grow up. It took Joshua at least a year to decide whether he was supposed to just see Daisy as a sister or not."

Xavier didn't say a word, but Gareth could see him turning the words over in his head, and decided to press his advantage. "If you talk to her and she's not interested, I'm assuming you are capable of handling the disappointment. If she is interested, then isn't it better that her first experiences dating are with you, who at least we all know is trustworthy and truly has her best interests at heart? It would cut down on any repeats of what happened at the karaoke bar," he added, knowing that shot would hit home.

A swirl of frustration, resignation, and longing swept through him. "I'll think about it," Xavier muttered, turning away from Gareth and trudging slowly up the stairs. _That was quite an understatement. I'm not going to be able to do anything but think about,_ Xavier grumbled to himself, missing the smug twinkle in Gareth's eyes.

It was probably cheating, those little manipulations, but they deserved some happiness after the bizarre and occasionally cruel experiences the lycanthropy had forced upon his patchwork family. "Two sisters down, one to go" Gareth whispered.

* * *

Murmurs rose throughout the classroom as the students unabashedly stared at the unfamiliar witch. She stood silently at the front of the room, head down, not making eye contact. "Is she a new teacher?" Ron whispered to Hermione, sitting in front of him. "What happened to Snape?"

Hermione turned and shrugged. "I just arrived myself, Ron. How could I possibly know?"

Ron grinned. "You usually know everything." Hermione glared at him, and turned away. Ron sat back in his seat, looking a little dejected. "It was meant to be a compliment," he said under his breath. "What do you think?" he nudged Harry, who sat beside him.

"I think she'll come 'round eventually," he said, staring down at the map he held tucked in his DADA book on his lap.

"I mean about Snape," Ron said, his neck flushing at Harry's comment.

Harry looked up. "What about him?" he asked, narrowing his eyes confusedly.

"Unless he's trying out a batch of Polyjuice Potion, he's not here," Ron said, pointing to the front of the room.

Harry looked up just as the strange witch did. Her face showed no sign of recognition, but Harry had the strange impression that he'd seen her somewhere before. "She seems familiar," he finally whispered to Ron.

Ron looked at the woman again. "Well, she looks a bit like your mum, doesn't she?" he said. "That picture of her by your bed, where her hair's all swishy."

Harry frowned. He guessed her hair was sort of the same, but that wasn't what he'd meant at all. Harry opened his mouth to respond, but just then Professor Snape swept into the room.

"Cease with the needless gossip," he commanded. "This is Miss Andersson. The Headmaster has deemed it necessary to create a teacher training position, and Miss Andersson is the unfortunate test subject." He hesitated for a split second before continuing, "Miss Anderson and I will now demonstrate a wordless duel, since so many of your attempts have thus far been pathetic. Come, Miss Anderson," he sneered, "and let us see what a Durmstrang education and a few years in the real world have taught you."

Miss Andersson watched Professor Snape warily as she drew her wand and positioned herself. He threw a spell lazily that she blocked, then two more in quick succession. "You won't get very far staying on the defensive," Professor Snape drawled. "One must seize, retain, and exploit the initiative."

Lina's mouth twitched as she held back a smile. Once a teacher, always a teacher. Very well, if he wanted an offensive, he would get one. Her wand flashed as she threw a couple spells of her own. "Offensive action is the most effective and decisive way to attain a clearly defined common objective," Professor Snape continued to lecture. The first spell Snape blocked easily, but the second he had to sidestep. "The ultimate purpose of a duel is to destroy the enemy's ability and will to fight," he added.

The new teacher had a glint in her eye, indicating she was rather enjoying the experience, and Harry felt again that strange nudge of recognition. The spells continued to fly, mesmerizing the students, and occasionally narrowly missing them. As she spun out of the way of a streak of blue, Snape shot a stinging jinx at her ankle, which appeared to take her completely by surprise. Miss Andersson stumbled and glared at him, as he said, "Strike the enemy at a time or place—"

"…or in a manner for which she is unprepared," she interrupted wryly, panting slightly as they continued circling each other, wands blazing. She was limping from the stinging jinx, and Snape was able to counter her spells more easily now that she was slower to move.

"Place the enemy in a position of disadvantage, and keep him off balance." A spell grazed her wand arm, and as Lina fumbled in an attempt to keep hold of her wand, a final hex knocked her back to the ground.

"Never permit your enemy to acquire an unexpected advantage," he concluded, grabbing her wand and holding his own at her throat for a moment, before offering her a hand up. As he pulled her to her feet, Professor Snape's lip curled in contempt. "It would seem a Durmstrang education is inferior to Hogwarts."

" _Obviously_ ," she drawled out, allowing a small smile to appear, and Snape's eyes glinted in what could have been animosity or amusement.

"You will pair up and spend the remainder of the class period practicing the basic dueling spells, _silently_ ," he said to the class, ignoring her remark. "Miss Andersson and I will come around and correct the more glaring errors."

* * *

The scent of vanilla and cinnamon and chocolate wafted through the cozy kitchen, as Glen Miller played on the radio. Finally, he'd found a moment that felt more like home than anything he'd experienced in a year. Remus sipped his tea, making notes on training exercises and watching Artemis make biscuits, while Ana bounced in a little sling type chair on the table top. Every once in a while, Remus would dangle his quill in front of her for her little fists to grab, or tickle her nose, before very earnestly asking her opinion on his notes. "I still think focusing on defense is more important than offense right now," he argued back to Ana's coos and burbles. "It's unlikely we'll have enough time to shape them into truly excellent fighters."

"Time to head to the station!" Sirius announced, poking his head in the kitchen. "I'll be back with the crazy quartet in about an hour."

"Quartet?" asked Artemis.

"Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny. Harry had already asked Hermione to stay for Easter before the werewolf infestation. Her parents are going to Majorca or something. I guess the twins told Ron and Ginny about our guests, and they asked if they could come meet everyone. I don't think they're staying over though."

"Oh, they should!" exclaimed Artemis. "The kids can all have a slumber party in the drawing room."

"It will be fun for them to have some new company," said Remus. "They still aren't really getting to meet a lot of people besides the Order members."

"I'll ask them," nodded Sirius. "Oh, has there been any word…you know, from Lina?"

"No, I'm sorry, Padfoot," Artemis said. "She probably won't send word for a while. She likes to get settled in first, especially if it's a deep cover situation."

"You said she thought she might not…might not come back," he said, his voice sounding a little strained, as if he couldn't quite bring himself to voice the question.

Artemis moved to touch him, and then looked down at her flour covered hands in frustration. "Yes, but she's been in tough situations before, and always come out of it. I think maybe she was just feeling the…the loss a bit more. She hasn't had to leave you before, you know, since you two sort of...got together, and I think it was overwhelming for her."

"You don't have to pander to me, Kitten," Sirius said. "I'm sure an amoral mercenary that doesn't want to be a housewife has plenty of experience loving and leaving 'em."

Artemis snorted derisively. "Is that what she told you? Her morals are entirely black and white. If there's an innocent, an underdog, or an injustice she'll get involved. It's just her methods that are grey. Look, I'll tell you just what I told Remus. If she didn't want you to get close, you wouldn't get close. She has far less experience with men that you might be assuming. Trust the girl that cried when she had to kiss you goodbye, and don't worry about whatever words she used trying to explain why she was taking the job."

Sirius nodded, clearly chewing over her words. "Right. So, you think I should maybe look at rings, then?"

Remus inhaled the sip of tea he'd just taken in surprise, and Artemis giggled. "Yeah, actually I do think you should look at rings," she said. "It will distract her from having to try and justify why she didn't write more often once she gets back."

"Excellent," Sirius grinned. "I really have to run now. Don't want Harry wandering around the station on his own. I can't wait to see him…all of them. You Yanks are really doing my head in with your pronunciations, and Remus doesn't talk enough to make up for it. I can't remember how to pronounce tomato!"

Remus watched Artemis as she watched Sirius leave, her hands were covered in flour and a small streak of chocolate decorated her jaw line. She shook her head in happy exasperation, and turned back to her workspace, catching Remus eye. "What?" she asked, smiling at his soft expression.

"I was just wondering if you might let me kiss that chocolate off your face," he said, his smile turning mischievous.

"Well…you'd have to ask nicely," Artemis laughed, rolling her eyes at him.

She turned back to her mixing bowl, adding the buttermilk to the bowl and frowning down at the old, stained recipe card. Remus silently got up from his chair and stood behind her, making her jump as he whispered in her ear, "May I please kiss you?"

"Yes," she breathed out, hardly finishing the word before he leaned over and placed his lips on her skin. She froze, hands grasping the edge of the counter as he shifted closer, his chest pressed against her back as he gently wrapped an arm around her waist and held her to him. His lips and tongue were busy on the streak of chocolate, Etta James unhelpfully began singing on the radio, " _At last, my love has come along,_ " and Artemis tried to will her racing heart into a slower pace.

When he shifted from her jaw to her neck, finally able to kiss each and every taunting star, she couldn't stop a small sigh from escaping, and the next moment Remus had spun her around and pinned her against the counter. Another sigh became a murmur, as his mouth covered hers, months of longing pouring through the feverish kisses. Her hands cupped his face before running through his hair, flour dusting down onto his jumper and adding to the streaks of grey in his hair.

Ana squealed from her place on the table, and Remus broke away, breathing heavily. He pressed his forehead against Artemis' for a moment, before resting his head on her shoulder. Artemis continued to run her fingers through the hair at the back of his neck as she attempted to control her own breaths.

"Marry me," he murmured against her neck.

"Yes," she breathed once more, the word getting lost as he kissed her…again…and again…and again.

* * *

Spring raindrops started to splatter on the rooftop as a soft breeze blew around his head. Xavier closed his eyes and turned his face to the sky, hoping the rain would wash away his confusion. In spite of Daisy's proclamation, Kieran hadn't rescinded the decision that Xavier needed to talk to Catherine. And while an Alpha's decision wasn't a command exactly, the authority he carried meant pack members were usually quick to comply.

What was he supposed to say to her? He'd hated the idea of being controlled by the need to claim. But was it any better thinking he'd been controlled by an enemy? Well, maybe controlled wasn't quite the word. Influenced might be better. The emotions had been strangely overwhelming, no doubt about that, but the decision to attack the guy had been his and his alone. He was still angry, actually. For Catherine to be that afraid and even then try to stay calm and not cause a scene. Xavier's knuckles cracked as he fisted his hands again just thinking about it. Hopefully the surgery the guy would need to fix his nose and his jaw would discourage him from that sort of behavior.

Pressing his fists against his eyes, Xavier groaned quietly. He'd never been a Casanova type; girls he met always seemed shallow and content with so little. Xander ate it up, but Xavier only wanted to get out of Black Mountain, North Carolina, and see the world. That was why he joined the Marines. His mother had laughed at his complaining, and warned him that when he finally fell for someone he was gonna fall hard. _Still waters run deep, son. And deep water can be dangerous._ She sure wasn't wrong. He still remembered the day it happened, sometime after Catherine had turned nineteen. She'd been coming in from the garden, carrying a basket and silhouetted by the setting sun, and it was like someone had flipped a switch inside of him. He'd found it damned annoying at first, suddenly being hyper aware of everything about her. But noticing every smile, every laugh, every frown, every look of concentration that created a little wrinkle on her nose eventually became an insatiable longing for more. It was laughable how fast and hard he'd fallen.

Xavier opened his eyes at the sound of the door. He was pretty well concealed where he sat, and figured if he stayed quiet whoever it was would soon go away. Soft footsteps came closer and then stopped. He heard the snip of shears on some unsuspecting plant, and then caught the scent of her perfume. _Of course she'd come up here when I'm trying to avoid her._ Her footsteps moved away towards the door, but he didn't hear it open. He heard the knob rattle and then mutterings, followed by the sharp sound of her kicking the door.

Slowly getting to his feet, Xavier came around the corner of the greenhouse and saw Catherine tugging on the door fruitlessly, one hand holding on to a clump of some kind of plant. He cleared his throat to alert her to his presence, and she swung towards the sound with wide, startled eyes. "Oh! I…I didn't know you were up here," she stammered quickly. "Gareth told me Jane needed some of the new basil, but now the door seems to be stuck."

 _Nice, Gareth._ Xavier internally rolled his eyes. He had passed him on the stairs going to the rooftop. Xavier tried the handle of the door himself. _Stuck, my foot. He locked us out here on purpose._

"I guess we'll have to wait for someone to notice we're missing," he finally said. "I don't have any tools to take the door off, and the hinges are on the inside anyway."

Catherine nodded and moved to sit on the bench outside of the greenhouse. She pulled a small stem off the clump of basil and began to pick it to pieces. Xavier paced slowly around the raised beds, watching her out of the corner of his eye. She looked sad, he realized, sort of wistful and…lost. "Too bad neither of us can do magic," he finally said. "Probably could have that door open in a second."

A harsh, sharp laugh escaped her. "Sometimes I wish I could get away from all the magic for a little while. I…I don't really know where I fit over here." Catherine frowned as she said that, and Xavier was caught off guard. The wistfulness had been replaced with frustration and a fierce determination that he didn't often see.

"I'm sorr—"

"I should apolog—"

They both stopped and looked at each other. "Why are you apologizing?" Xavier asked, coming to a standstill in front of her.

Catherine looked up at him, as the rain began to fall in sheets. "I shouldn't have sung that song," she said, blinking against the raindrops, but not moving, staring at him earnestly.

Xavier shook his head in disbelief. He grabbed her by the elbow and hauled her to her feet, pulling her into the greenhouse. "You don't have to apologize for singing a song," he said, raising his voice over the roar of the rainstorm. "It's not your fault some jackass took it as an invitation to put his hands on you!" She started to say something, but he held up his hand to stop her. "And it's not your fault I chose to beat him up. I'm only sorry you were right there to see it. And I'm sorry it had to happen to you at all, but none of it was in any way your fault."

Catherine was grateful for the rain that still shimmered in droplets on her face; they helped mask the few tears that began to fall. How could she explain that she still felt guilty for choosing the song intentionally, trying to attract attention? "I don't like it here," she blurted out suddenly. "I don't like the city, and the noise, and the crowds, and being crammed into this house. I don't like feeling left out because I can't do magic. I don't like everyone looking at me with pity because I'm different."

It felt like a punch in the gut. Xavier had been so worried about trying to hide his own attraction, that he'd completely missed how unhappy she was. Part of him wanted to simply take her in his arms and promise her she'd be happy again, that he would make her happy. But he also recognized the little girl he'd met ten years ago. Newly arrived on the reservation, and fresh from Gram's healing prayer, he'd happened upon a skinny girl, tanned from the summer sun, with leaves caught in her golden hair and tears rolling out of angry brown eyes, because she couldn't skip rocks like her brothers and sisters. She'd been out by the river for hours throwing rock after rock in frustration. Xavier was a frightened, hurting, still-sort-of-a-kid, who, in three short years, had gone from Marine, to casualty, to veteran, to thief, to werewolf. Coming off the Southwest Res and finding out this girl's worst problem was not being able to skip rocks was such a relief he'd almost cried himself. And then he had spent the next two hours teaching her, neither one speaking the entire time. They hadn't needed to. Just knowing there was someone else to be present with in that moment was enough. And when she'd finally managed to make the rock skim over the surface of the water, she grinned at him, showing a gap in her front teeth, and then ran off without a word to share her news with her family. And Xavier had sat down on the river bank and wept for everything he'd lost, and in thankfulness that he was finally in a place where he felt at peace.

"What would you do if you could do anything at all?" he asked. "If money and time were no object. If magic and this war didn't exist. What would you want to be doing right now?"

Catherine shrugged helplessly. "If I were a witch, I think I might like to become a Healer, like Ellie. I enjoyed getting to help deliver the baby, and she said I did a good job."

Xavier smiled and nodded. "So what's stopping you?"

Catherine made a face. "I'm not a witch, I'm a squib."

"And non-magic people need healers too. You could study nursing. Heck, you could get some manuals for combat medics to study right now. When we start training and being sent out on field ops, there are bound to be some injuries."

Catherine laughed softly. "The first day I met you, you were trying to make me feel better about myself too, remember?"

"Yeah," he said, unable to keep a tender smile off his face. "Yeah, I remember."

"I am sorry that the claiming thing sort of put you through the ringer," she added, looking down where her shoe was scuffing the ground. "I know you don't want to be all bound up with one of us like that."

Xavier ran his hand along the countertop, brushing off some loose dirt. "Not when you haven't had a chance to really live your life yet," he said. "There could be somebody better out there for you." The words had flown out of his mouth before he'd realized how she could take them, and he watched her hesitantly. Catherine nodded, still scuffing her toes along the ground. He could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she processed his statement, and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt the moment they sunk in. She froze for a split second looking up at him, wide-eyed, before looking back at the ground.

He watched her face set in that determined expression again before she asked, "So…if I had a chance to live my own life, you're saying you might consider it?"

"Daisy said we don't have to worry about claiming anymore," he answered slowly. "We're free from all that."

"I wasn't talking about claiming," she said, her chin jutting out a little a way that strongly resembled Isabel.

Xavier tried hedging, unable to meet her eyes now. "You should see more of the world, meet more people, try new things."

Catherine came closer, forcing him to look at her and tentatively taking his hand. "Xavier?" she murmured.

"You only now are getting a chance to find out what the world has to offer," he said firmly, ignoring the disappointment in her eyes. "I can't take that chance away from you. I _won't_ take it away."

Then Gareth was there, swinging open the door and calling apologies through the rain. "Dinner just started, and no one could find you two…" he began.

Xavier glared at him, pushing past to walk back into the house. "Hey, I am sorry!" Gareth yelled after him. "I didn't know it had started raining!"

* * *

** I barely made my deadline! The characters were particularly uncooperative this week. Honestly, Remus wasn't supposed to propose for another couple months. Silly man was just swept up in the moment. ;) Thanks so much for reading!


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter 53 ~ April, 1997

Warm sunshine streaming through the window was an absolutely lovely way to wake up, Artemis decided, stretching lazily under the covers. Four hours of blissful, uninterrupted sleep. It was official, she was going to survive motherhood. Rolling over to peek at Ana, who had yet to make a sound, she was surprised to find her cot empty. Artemis sat up, and realized Remus was sitting in the little armchair, holding their daughter, but watching her.

"Good morning," she said sleepily, smiling at him.

"Morning," he responded, his own voice rough with sleep.

"Have you been up with her for a while? You should have woken me."

"No, I haven't been up long. She just started to stir a little bit and then went back to sleep after I picked her up, so I've been enjoying the view."

Artemis blushed, smiling a little. "As long as I wasn't drooling on the pillow," she said, trying to quickly finger-comb her hair a little, sure it was closely resembling a rat's nest.

Remus chuckled. "No drool that I noticed."

Biting her lip a little, Artemis drew her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "So…you proposed yesterday," she said hesitantly.

Remus winced and her stomach dropped. "Yeah, about that…" he said slowly.

"Hey, I get it, it's ok," she interrupted. "It was the just the heat of the moment…" She swallowed back the sudden lump in her throat.

"Yes," he said nodding. "Exactly. That was nothing like how I'd planned to ask you. I mean, I didn't even have the ring on me, and then the words just sort of popped out…"

Artemis' eyes widened, and her heart began to pound. "You mean…you really did want to ask me to marry you?"

Remus stared at her. "Of course," he said. "I would have asked you weeks ago, but you'd said you wanted to take things slow, so I thought we should date a little first, but it was really hard to find the time after Ana was born because you were so tired and busy. And then I thought staying in the same room would at least help us have more time together, but wow, that has been far more…um, frustrating…than I'd realized it would be." His eyes swept over her, and Artemis felt her cheeks grow warm.

"Oh," she said in a small voice. "So you, um, you already have a ring?"

Remus nodded. "Yes, but you aren't getting it yet. I'm going to do it properly."

Artemis felt tears spring to her eyes, and tried to sniff them back, but one still managed to escape and trail down her cheek.

"Why…why are you crying?" asked Remus, apprehensively. "If you…if you don't want to get married, I guess…I guess we don't have to. We can just pretend yesterday didn't happen, and…"

A loud crack announced the arrival of Kreacher, bearing a tea tray and a crooked smile. "Kreacher has brought Mistress morning tea," the old elf croaked cheerfully. As he moved to set the tray on the bed, he noticed her tears, and frowned. "My poor mistress," he said soothingly, patting her hand. "Ill-used by the Half-Breed no doubt," he then muttered to himself, shooting a glare at Remus, who was glaring right back at him. "Treating her like a kept-woman." Then a wicked, conspiratorial smile creased his face, and he leaned in closer to Artemis. "Kreacher can take care of everything, Mistress," he tried to whisper. "Just a little something in his soup, and the Half-Breed won't hurt Mistress again."

Remus began to sputter in astonishment and Artemis' eyes widened in shock. "Kreacher, I absolutely forbid you from harming Remus," she said firmly, grabbing Kreacher's hand. "Or any guest in this house," she added as an afterthought.

Kreacher frowned in concentration, but seeing no way around the order, nodded his head grimly. "My poor Mistress," he said, patting her hand again. "So brave and selfless."

"Um, Kreacher, I think Sirius would really appreciate some tea this morning also. Do you think you could bring him some, please?"

Kreacher nodded knowingly. "Yes, Master Sirius is missing the Mudblood, Miss Lina. Kreacher will bring him some tea with the firewhiskey that makes him feel better."

"No!" exclaimed Remus and Artemis at once. "Just tea, please, Kreacher. Master Sirius doesn't need any firewhiskey this morning," Artemis said pleadingly.

With another loud crack, Kreacher was gone, and Artemis and Remus looked at each other in disbelief. "That elf is a menace," stated Remus, shaking his head.

"He means well," protested Artemis, "and without him I wouldn't have been able to get off the reservation."

Ana began to squirm in his arms, and Remus shifted her to his shoulder, patting her back gently. "I…uh…that is…why were you crying?" he asked anxiously.

"Oh!" said Artemis, Kreacher's strange behavior having quite shoved their previous conversation from her mind. "Relief," she laughed. "Knowing you really want to get married. I think part of me kept wondering if you were going to leave again."

Remus closed his eyes, regret over all his past actions brought home. Opening his eyes, he seemed to look directly into her soul. "We live in uncertain times," he said in a low, intense voice, "but as far as it depends on me, I swear I will never leave you."

* * *

Harry and Ron trudged yawningly into the kitchen several days after their arrival at Twelve Grimmauld Place for the Easter holidays, having decided to spend one week here and one week with the Weasleys. Rooms had been enlarged once again to accommodate the extra people; Ron and Harry were bunking with Gareth, Joshua and Hezekiah, Ginny and Hermione with Catherine, Isabel and Daisy. They had all pretty much hit it off, apart from some tension that seemed to be drawn across gender lines. Harry simply opted to ignore it, since that was how his year was playing out anyway, constantly mediating between Ron and Hermione. Plus he was more focused on getting time alone with Sirius and Remus to discuss what he'd learned from Professor Slughorn's memory.

Ron was currently mourning the fact that he was having to choose between extra sleep and breakfast. Fred and George had been right, Jane's cooking was incredible, but if you weren't in the kitchen when meals were being served, you just missed out and had to wait until the next one. Coming into the room, he spotted a couple familiar faces whispering together at one end of the table. "What are you two doing here?" Ron asked his brothers, pulling out a chair near them at the crowed table.

"Oh, we're frequent purveyors of Jane's cuisine," said Fred.

"Yes, and we'll have to start feeding people in shifts if we get any more frequent purveyors," Jane called from the stove, where she and Artemis were working companionably.

"We can always stay at the Burrow if you're too crowded," Harry offered, sliding into a seat.

"Not a chance," said Artemis. "Sirius has been too eager to have you home."

Harry grinned at her. _Home_. He liked the sound of that.

"That's some loud music coming from the drawing room. I assumed you lot had started in early." Sirius remarked to Gareth, as he took Ana out of Remus' arms and settled into the rocking chair by the fireplace, bouncing her lightly.

"Joshua and I aren't allowed to participate right now. Isabel is dealing out her own special brand of therapy," Gareth said matter-of-factly.

"What does that mean?" asked Sirius.

Xander laughed. "They're playing every 'we're angry at men' song she can think of, like Aretha Franklin's _Respect."_

"Or that one by Frank Sinatra's daughter, _These Boots Are Made for Walkin',_ " added Gareth.

" _Go Your Own Way_ by Fleetwood Mac."

"And that newer one by No Doubt, _Just A Girl_. I'm sure that one will make an appearance."

" _Hit the Road, Jack_."

" _Cryin_ ' by Aerosmith.

" _Love Stinks_ , that one's my personal favorite."

"And when Cat gets going on her violin she likes to shred bows playing _The Devil Went Down to Georgia_. Nothing like an angry fiddle. They'll probably be at it all day." Gareth smiled and sipped his coffee.

"Why are they angry?" asked Harry.

"I couldn't tell you exactly, but I'm sure it's their fault," Gareth said, gesturing between Joshua and Xavier.

Joshua stabbed at the eggs on his plate irritably. "I already told you, Daisy's not angry, she's…stand-offish. And I don't know why she's upset. I didn't do anything."

Xavier simply glared at Gareth, who smiled and held up his hands. "Come on, it was a perfect set up. I can't help it if you blew your chance."

"You locked us out on the roof in a rainstorm," Xavier muttered. "And nobody asked you to set up anything."

"You could try turning it back on them," said George thoughtfully. "Play _American Woman_ by The Guess Who."

"George has become quite the connoisseur of Muggle music since our first karaoke night," said Fred, grinning. "Of course, he's been more interested lately since he's met some of you." George glared at the last remark, but no one else seemed to notice anything.

"Where's Hermione and Ginny?" asked Ron, looking up and down the table. "We stopped by their room, but it was empty."

"Probably with the girls," Gareth shrugged. "Do they have any reason to be angry with men?"

Harry shot Ron a pointed look. "Uh, no idea," Ron stammered, blushing.

"Likely story," laughed Gareth, but not unkindly. "Don't worry about it. We can go play pool or something later. Xander found a pretty good Snooker Hall nearby. Leave the females to their own devices."

"What is wrong between you and Daisy, _mi hijo_?" asked Rosa, patting his shoulder after catching the tail end of the conversation. "You two are usually very _tranquilos_."

"It's nothing, _Mamá_ , don't worry about it," said Joshua.

"I will tell you from experience, it does no good to stand on false pride, son," offered Oscar. "Always apologize, even if you aren't sure why you're doing it. That principle has saved me many a night on the sofa."

Rosa rolled her eyes at him, as Hawthorne chuckled. "I would have to agree with Oscar," he said. "Sometimes women seem to prefer to be coddled regardless of who is right and who is wrong."

"Really? Coddled?" said Jane, shaking her head. "Maybe they should try just asking the girls what's wrong and offering to talk through it, rather than patronizing them."

"No, that never works," argued Hezekiah. "If you ask what's wrong women just get more upset because we're supposed to already know what's wrong."

Xander laughed. "Maybe we need to start off apologizing for not knowing why they're upset in the first place."

"Well for heaven's sake, just never say or assume it's anything to do with hormones," added Ellie. "That makes it sound like you think we have no control over our emotions at all."

"Maybe if you didn't act like it…" began Kieran teasingly, before he quickly ducked away from Ellie's raised wand. "Listen and learn, Finn," he whispered to the little boy beside him. "Don't intentionally aggravate your mama."

"What do you think, Moony?" asked Sirius, a twinkle in his eye.

"Oh no, there is no way I'm getting involved in this conversation," said Remus quickly. "Most werewolves I know have no business judging how anyone else's emotions can be influenced by, um…monthly cycles."

Sirius' barking laugh echoed in the room. "You did used to get quite grumpy around your time of the month."

"A very wise woman, who has been married for a long time, once told me the only way to know for sure how a person feels about something is to ask them," said Artemis. "It doesn't do any good to assume."

"Who said that?" asked Ron.

"Your mother," said Artemis, laughing.

"Arthur and Molly certainly learned to handle arguments somehow. Seven children after all…" said Sirius thoughtfully.

A mix of groans, laughter, and blushing red heads greeted the girls as they finally joined everyone else in the kitchen, pointedly choosing seats at the opposite end of the table from the boys. Another round of laughter broke out as Artemis' radio suddenly began playing, _I Will Survive._

* * *

Shoes clicked loudly along the empty corridor, robes swishing along as she walked. Completely impractical for surveillance work, those shoes. She'd have to review the Transfiguration spell to be able to quickly change them to something silent and maybe more comfortable. Stopping outside the heavy wooden door to Professor Snape's quarters, Lina took a deep breath, and knocked firmly.

"Enter," called the deep, clear voice.

Seizing the handle and pushing the door open, Lina poked her head around it. "Severus, I wanted to invite you to have a drink with me in Hogsmeade. Do you prefer the Three Broomsticks or The Hog's Head?" Lina asked.

"I prefer to remain alone in my room with a small glass of wine and a book," Severus replied icily.

Glancing into the hallway, where a couple portraits were unabashedly eavesdropping on the interaction, Lina swept her hair back over her shoulder and tilted her head coquettishly. "That's disappointing. Are you sure there's nothing I can say to make you change your mind…" Slipping inside the room, she quietly closed the door and leaned against it. Snape watched her, looking mildly annoyed. "Please don't make this difficult, Sir," Lina sighed. "You know we need to be seen together."

Severus scowled. "This isn't going to work. No one in their right mind would expect me to take a woman out for a drink in Hogsmeade."

"Oh, drop the angry eyes. What would they expect, then?"

"Me to die a lonely, miserable old man."

Lina opted to ignore the self-deprecating comment. "Sir, you have devoted a good portion of your life to working against the Dark Lord. I can help you, if you'll let me."

"As you said, I've been doing this for a while. Why do I need help now?"

Lina was quiet for a minute. Snape lounged easily in an armchair, the book and glass of red wine on the side table adding credence to his earlier assertion. He had intentionally not invited her to sit, preferring to keep their interactions formal, but Lina leaned casually against the door, acting like she was completely comfortable and had all the time in the world. A carefully constructed persona, he concluded. Whenever he had called her into his office as a student, she acted more like tightly wound spring, eyes darting everywhere, shoulders stiff, and her demeanor entirely untrusting. As she grew older she was able to exhibit more control, and that coupled with her disconcerting ability to lie right to your face, made for some very difficult disciplinary moments. By her seventh year he'd practically given up trying to rein her in, especially because she'd shifted from targeting students who could benefit her financially to targeting bullies. And as much as he was loathe to admit it, even to himself, he admired her. Snape was self-aware enough to recognize that his prickly and bullying attitude sprang from a warped method of self-protection. The one person he'd loved in his life had been lost due to his own foolishness. And now he was being set up to lead another person, a person he grudgingly had to admit he was actually rather fond of, into the lion's den.

"There's a shift coming," Lina finally said. "I can feel it. The darkness is preparing to make a move. And I think Dumbledore is aware of it too, and he's trying to get some back up in place. And please believe me, I understand this is horribly awkward for you, but all he told me was she had red hair. If we are to pull this off, you need to tell me at least one or two things about her that…that drew you to her. And they can be generic, I don't need to know any details. I just need to know how to behave to make this believable."

"No."

"I'm sorry?"

"No. I will not be party to this ridiculous plan. When the school year ends, we can decree the teaching training program a failure, and you can return to your…whatever you've decided that mongrel, Black, is to you."

"Sir, you should know that I'm not above throwing myself at you," Lina said flatly. "I hope that you'll reconsider before I am forced to do something that makes both of us even more uncomfortable, and will be arguably less effective at convincing the other Death Eaters."

Snape scowled at her again, as she raised her eyebrows challengingly before quietly slipping back out the door.

* * *

"What is a horcrux?" asked Sirius heatedly. "And why the bloody hell did Albus not deem it necessary to inform me that he was feeding my godson inside information on defeating Voldemort!"

"It's a way to become immortal," said Harry. "You split your soul up, then if you die, part of you still lives. Professor Slughorn was the only one who knew that Tom Riddle had asked specifically about it being in seven pieces. And…I did mention at Christmas that Dumbledore had been telling me stuff about Voldemort."

Remus was frowning. "Horcruxes are very dark magic, old blood magic. You have to kill someone to enact it, like a sacrifice. It's bad enough, thinking he'd managed it once, but seven times? Voldemort could come back again and again as long as the horcruxes are there."

"So we need to destroy the horcruxes first," pondered Sirius. "How would one do that? What are they made of?"

"No idea," sighed Remus. "He'll certainly have them hidden and protected if he's managed to do it."

"Since he's already come back once, I think it's safe to assume he's managed it," said Sirius darkly.

"Dumbledore's been looking for them," offered Harry. "I finally figured out that's why he's been gone so much."

Sirius frowned suddenly. "You don't think that's what Lina's job is, do you?" he asked Remus.

Remus shrugged. "I don't think there's any way we can know for sure. She did say once that she was a retrieval specialist."

"Who's Lina?" asked Harry, puzzled.

"You met her at Christmas," said Sirius. "The blonde woman who came to dinner with us."

"Oh right, the one you couldn't stop staring at," said Harry, grinning.

Remus snorted, and Sirius grinned back at him. "Yeah, she's pretty hard to look away from," he said sheepishly. "Even if that's not her job, I bet she'd know something about horcruxes. She's worked with some pretty dodgy people."

"Wait a minute, she fought at the Ministry, didn't she?" said Harry suddenly. "She was the one that pushed you off the platform and then tried to fix your arm?"

"That's right," said Sirius, looking confused by the ardent tone of voice.

"Does she have a sister?" Harry asked, a far off look in his eyes.

"She has a brother," began Remus slowly, as Sirius just looked at him, flabbergasted.

"No, it's definitely a woman. They check for Polyjuice now," said Harry cryptically.

"Harry, what on earth are you on about?" asked Sirius.

"Snape's got an assistant," Harry said. "She seemed familiar, but I couldn't figure it out at first. I think…I think she reminds me of Lina."

"What's she look like?" asked Sirius, at the same time Remus said, "Why would Snape need an assistant?"

Harry shrugged. "He didn't seem too happy about her being there, but he _almost_ seemed like he might have enjoyed dueling with her. She was pretty good, and the way she fought…it was kind of like Lina, I think. But this one's got red hair."

"Of course she has," muttered Sirius.

"Well, getting back to our original topic, Harry, is there anything from the memories Dumbledore's shown you that might indicate what a horcrux could look like?" Remus asked.

"It's things that are important to him," he said firmly. "I've already destroyed one — the diary that came to life in the Chamber of Secrets my second year. And Dumbledore said he's destroyed one as well — the Gaunt Family ring. The snake that attacked Mr. Weasley is another one, according to Dumbledore. And the last memory I saw was about a locket that had belonged to Salazar Slytherin and Helga Hufflepuff's cup."

"So we really only need to find one more that's somehow connected to Gryffindor or Ravenclaw," said Remus.

"The only artifact I've ever heard about Gryffindor having is Godric Gryffindor's sword. You can't use that to make a horcrux," said Sirius. "Only a true Gryffindor can access it."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Yeah. It appeared in the Sorting Hat when I was fighting the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets. So Ravenclaw then. Do you remember anything important about Rowena Ravenclaw?"

"Not about any particular belonging of hers," said Remus, shaking his head. "Not off the top of my head, anyway. We can go back through _Hogwarts: A History_ and maybe see about finding a biography of her."

"Once we've identified them all and figure out how to destroy them…then he can be killed?" asked Sirius. "The only bit of soul he'll have left is the one in his body. Then we can kill him?"

"I…" said Harry softly. "I have to kill him."

"Harry, you don't have to set any store by that prophecy," began Sirius cautiously. Remus remained silent. His own life had been completely turned upside down by a prophecy, so he didn't think he could speak definitely on that issue one way or the other.

"I don't have to set any store by the prophecy, but Voldemort already has," argued Harry. "And he won't stop coming after me until I'm dead. So I can't stop going after him either."

"But you don't have to do it alone," said Sirius sternly, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. "We will be with you."

Remus nodded, feeling suddenly like James was in the room with them. "Until the very end," he murmured.

* * *

A chilly spring rainstorm was pounding down on London, keeping the residents of Twelve Grimmauld Place sequestered inside. Clustered near the drawing room fireplace, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Joshua, Daisy, and Fred were all focused on a rather cut throat game of Exploding Snap. Harry's cheek was streaked with soot, and Fred had already lost his eyebrows. Hermione and Gareth were eagerly talking about some intricate goblin history and it's impact on precious metal manufacturing, and George was trying to teach Isabel how to play Gobstones, but Fred personally thought there was far more whispering going on between them than Gobstones called for.

Ron had a weird niggling feeling that the girl, Daisy, reminded him of someone, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. She talked like Luna sometimes, but not so airy. And it wasn't her mannerisms anyway, it was something about her eyes? Or maybe her profile?

"Stop staring at her," Joshua said, far more gruffly than he'd intended to.

"Sorry," Ron mumbled, flushing a dark red. Fred and George had gone on and on about how brilliant the Americans were, but he sure wasn't seeing it. They'd been avoiding each other or snapping at each other the whole time he'd been at Grimmauld Place. Not that he was any expert in smoothing things over with members of the opposite sex. He'd spent plenty of time this year doing his own avoiding and snapping.

"I'm afraid you're not catching us at our best," Daisy said, smiling at him, to try and let him know she wasn't bothered. "We've just had some family drama. Please don't take it personally. It's pretty weird, huh? Hanging out with werewolves?"

"Oh, no, that wasn't it," Ron said. "You just look really familiar. Don't you think so?" he asked, turning to Hermione.

Hermione looked up from her conversation with Gareth, and glanced from Ron to Daisy. "I don't…think so?" she said in confusion. "What looks familiar?"

Ron turned back to study Daisy, and Joshua made a frustrated noise. Daisy, quite out of character, frowned at him. "Why are you so grumpy? After everything that happened you should be pleased!"

"Pansy…" mumbled Ron in surprise, and both Hermione and Harry's heads shot up to look at Daisy.

"Did you figure it out?" Daisy asked, smiling at them in a puzzled sort of way.

"Well," said Hermione in surprise. "It just goes to show how dispositions and facial expressions can differentiate people!" and Harry gave out a strangled sort of laugh.

"It's a girl at our school," explained Ron. "That's who you remind us of. But she's…uh…she's kind of horrible. That's why I couldn't quite put my finger on it!" he hastened to add. "I didn't really see it until you…well, until you got mad at him."

"What's her name?" asked Daisy, softly.

"Um, it's Pansy," offered Hermione. "Pansy Parkinson." The other kids froze when she said it, and all turned to look at Daisy. Joshua instantly forgot his bad temper and moved to sit beside her, reaching for her hand.

"Pansy…" Daisy whispered. Did she remember something about a girl called Pansy? She would have been a baby…or not yet born? What could the connection be? Sister…a cousin…just a coincidence? It didn't feel like a coincidence, though. "Who is she?" she asked, looking directly at her wolf, who was sitting behind Harry.

 _Sister._ The wolf looked sympathetic, as Daisy tried to take in the news.

"She's a Slytherin in our year," answered Harry, thinking she was addressing him. "Hangs around Draco Malfoy."

"Thank you for telling me," Daisy said softly. "We don't know much about our families…I think…I think I might be related to her…Um, excuse me for a moment…I just…I just need to think…" She quickly got up and fled the room, the others staring after her.

"Fix it," said Gareth sternly to Joshua.

Joshua looked at him helplessly. "She hasn't wanted to talk to me all week. Why would she want me right now?"

Isabel sighed. "Josh, she's hurt. You said — in front of all the men, I might add — that you didn't have to claim her anymore. So she thinks that was your way of saying you're not planning to go through with the betrothal."

Joshua's eyes widened before he jumped up and ran out of the room. Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys exchanged questioning glances, clearly knowing they were missing some information.

"What does that mean, that he didn't have to claim her anymore?" asked Hermione, her senses perked for new knowledge.

"Just a werewolf thing," Gareth said, brushing aside the question.

"So Joshua and Daisy are…engaged?" asked Ginny. "Is that…I mean, betrothal is sort of an old fashioned word."

"We do arranged marriages," said Isabel slowly, looking at Gareth, "And they were fine," she added, frowning at him. "Why did you have to meddle?"

"That's rich, coming from you," he said incredulously, sitting up straighter on the couch. "Who's idea was it to have Cat sing that song anyway? She never would have done that on her own."

"You egged Joshua on in front of the others. Of course he was going to defend what Daisy saw! That roof trick was just…amateur! Xavier needs to be slowly coaxed, not pushed. He's too stubborn. The song was just to get Catherine to feel more confident in herself."

"Well that worked beautifully, didn't it?" Gareth snarked back.

"I already told her I was sorry!" Isabel burst out, her wide eyes filling unexpectedly with tears.

The rest of the group watched them in uncomfortable silence. Gareth was instantly remorseful, slumping back against the couch. "You're right," he said softly. "I'm sorry. I should have stuck with the rules and minded my own business. I just…I want all of you to be happy."

Taking a shaky breath, Isabel walked over to the couch and sat beside him. "Why did we seem to be happier on the reservation?" Isabel whispered, snuggling into his side.

Gareth wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "I think it's like Sirius said, freedom can be complicated. Rather than being content with what's been thrown at us, we get to choose what makes us happy now. There's bound to be some trial and error along the way."

Isabel sat up abruptly and wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry, guys!" she said, looking from George to the rest of the group. "You've really had to put up with a lot of nonsense from us this week, huh? I'd like to try another shot at Gobstones if that's ok?"

"Sure," nodded George, looking quickly down at the board and beginning to arrange the stones.

"Hermione and I can fill in for Joshua and Daisy on Exploding Snap," Gareth offered. Hermione made a quick face, but moved over to the rest of the group.

"I can help you," Ron offered to Hermione, shifting over to make room for her beside him.

"It's just a game of chance, Ron. You can't really help with which cards I'm dealt," said Hermione, wrinkling up her nose.

"I seem to guess pretty accurately most of the time. Plus, if you pay close attention to what cards others are playing sometimes you can determine likely outcomes."

"Oh…that's clever of you," said Hermione in surprise, and shot him a quick smile.

"It's been known to happen," mumbled Ron, blushing a little. "Maybe not too much this year, though."

Over at the Gobstone Board, Isabel was acting oddly withdrawn. "You've made a lot of progress, but I don't think you'll beat me this time," said George, trying to engage her.

Isabel huffed a small laugh. "Yeah, I've never had the temperament to stick with anything but music."

"So, uh, if Joshua and Daisy are supposed to get married, and Catherine is with Xavier, who, uh, who are you going to marry?" George asked in a low voice.

Isabel frowned down at the board. "I was supposed to marry Gareth, but…we don't have to do the arranged marriages anymore. Joshua and Daisy really love each other, so they'll probably get married anyway. And if Catherine can stick to her guns, I think Xavier will come around. But for me and Gareth it was just an arrangement." She looked up at him suddenly, studying his brown eyes as if she was checking to make sure he was trustworthy. "It's a weird feeling, you know? I'm the sister nobody wants. I mean, Gareth was willing to put up with me, but…that was just him being the big brother. He was the one who convinced Papá that we should hold off on the marriages now that we live here and had a chance to meet new people."

She keep looking at him intently, and George felt as though all her trust in him was hinging on what he said in this moment. "Sometimes I feel like our family just puts up with us too," he began slowly. "Plus, me and Fred, we're sort of a package deal. And sometimes I wonder if people even see me as my own person."

Isabel knit her brows together. "Don't people see how you're different?" she asked.

"Not usually," said George, shaking his head. "Most people can't even tell us apart." Isabel looked genuinely surprised, and George decided to ask the question he'd been dreading. "How do you tell us apart, then?"

"Well, sometimes if you're moving around a lot and both talking at the same time it's a little difficult," she acknowledged thoughtfully, her eyes looking off away from him. "You are the tiniest bit taller than he is. But it's more how you are, than how you look. You're a little more calm and serious than Fred is. It seems like the times that you're being really silly, it's because you're responding to him, not initiating. Fred's brain is always going a hundred miles an hour thinking of new ideas and you…you take the time to really see and listen to people."

George smiled as he felt a warmth grow in his chest that he fervently hoped was not making it's way onto his cheeks as she spoke.

"And you smile differently," Isabel said decisively. "You smile with your mouth more and Fred smiles with his eyes more."

"We do?" George asked in surprise. "I've never noticed that."

"Well you don't usually see yourself smile, do you?" laughed Isabel.

"Isn't it better to smile with your eyes more?" asked George. "I feel like in books people always have eyes that are smiling."

Isabel shrugged. "I think you have very kind eyes. And they stay kind through your smiles. I think that's a good thing."

George cleared his throat to cover up the fact that he had absolutely no idea how to respond to that statement. "Um, so about this plan of yours," he finally said, lowering his voice a little more. "What should the first steps be?"

"Well," she said, drawing out the word as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger, "I think electric is out. I don't know the spells Hezekiah's come up with to insulate all the pieces of electronic stuff, and so they tend to run amok. But if each instrument has to have it's own set of keys…"

"You have a sizing problem," finished George, nodding. "What if we copy something more like an organ? At your height I think you should be able to manage maybe four separate rows of keys. Can you choose just four instruments? Would it work to just be able to focus on two instruments at one time?"

He watched that admiring smile break across her face again, and the heat that had started to fade in his chest threatened to become a forest fire.

"That sounds perfect!" Isabel enthused. "Wow, you are so smart!"

George couldn't hold back the blush that bloomed across this cheeks. "Well…Fred always says he's the idea man and I'm the problem solver. I can usually find ways to make his ideas work…"

"It's going to be wonderful!" she exclaimed, ducking down a little when her louder voice caused several heads from the rest of the group to turn their way. "Now we just need to find a way for me to get away by myself to help with tuning and to practice with it."

George swallowed hard. "Um, we could uh, pretend to go on a date, maybe?" he said, his stomach feeling like he had a pile of flobberworms rolling around inside. "Or just say we're going out for ice-cream?" he added hurriedly, looking down at the table. "You know, if a date sounds too formal."

"I think that would work fine," Isabel said, softly. "And maybe we could…really stop and get some ice cream afterwards."

George looked up to meet her eyes. She was smiling a little hesitantly, and he thought maybe they both understood what they hadn't quite been able to say.

* * *

Joshua had checked the roof first, wondering if Daisy would venture into the greenhouse despite the rain, but she wasn't there. Coming back down the stairs he stopped in front of the girls' room, and knocked softly on the door. He didn't hear anything, but opened the door to check anyway. Daisy was curled up on her bed, with her back to him; he could see her shoulders shaking as she cried. Not pausing to think, but simply reacting, Joshua crossed the room and climbed onto the bed. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her close to his chest, murmuring over and over again, _I'm sorry. I'm so sorry._

After a couple minutes, Daisy tried to pull away, frowning at him. "It's not your job to take care of me anymore. I don't want you to feel sorry for me."

Joshua dropped his arms and shifted away from her. "Daisy, I don't feel sorry for you," he said in a low voice. "I am sorry that I hurt you. And I'm sorry I didn't have the courage to say what I needed to say earlier."

Daisy moved further back towards her headboard, and Joshua noticed her hands were clutched around something. "You said it plain enough when Gareth asked," she said. "I should have thought to tell you as soon as we figured it out that…that you didn't need to feel…obligated anymore."

"No, that's not what I mean," said Joshua, shaking his head. "I told Gareth I didn't _need_ to claim you anymore. That didn't mean I didn't…that I don't…" He swallowed, his stomach twisting and turning. _Why couldn't he get the stupid word out?!_

Daisy had started shaking her head, ready to try and assuage his guilt again, when Joshua noticed what was in her hand. He had spent weeks carving the little wooden beads of the bracelet for her sixteenth birthday, hoping that when she opened them she'd smile at him in that particular way that made her nose crinkle and her freckles stand out on her cheeks. And he hadn't been disappointed. She'd started smiling from the moment she read his name on the package, and then blinded him with the glow of it as she tentatively asked him to help her put the bracelet on. His hands shook a little as he did it, he was so nervous. She didn't wear it all the time, like he'd hoped she would, but he did notice it was there for every dancing night, every birthday dinner, every holiday.

Joshua reached for her hand, turning it over and gently folding back her fingers that were grasping the beads so tightly. Cupping her hand with his, he ran his thumb over the small beads. This time it was her hand that trembled as he closed her fingers back over the bracelet and brought her hand up to his lips, kissing it softly. "I don't need to claim you," he repeated, the dam on his words suddenly breaking. "But I still want to marry you, whenever you will have me, because I love you. I've loved you since I was fifteen, and I love you so fiercely that sometimes it scares me."

Daisy felt like she couldn't make her body take a full breath. She wanted to weep and sing and laugh all at the same time, but couldn't do anything but sit there, frozen. It took her a couple heartbeats to realize Joshua had shifted back towards her, and was delicately pushing some of her hair back, before cupping her jaw, tilting her head up slightly. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she felt as if a dozen songbirds erupted in praise in her chest. His lips pressed gently against her cheek, and Daisy blinked in surprise. "Oh…" she said, not sure if she should be disappointed or relieved. "I..um…I thought…"

Joshua's cheeks were bright pink, and he gave a nervous half laugh, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah…um…Daisy, I'm pretty sure once I kiss you I'm not going to be able to stop. And I'd rather that not happen in a room you share with other girls that could walk in any second. I, uh, I've been waiting for a while. I guess I can wait a little longer for the right time."

And that bright smile he so cherished, that crinkled her nose up and made her freckles stand out, beamed across her face. Joshua stood up, and offered her his hand. Daisy took it, and stood as well, then intertwined his fingers with hers as they walked toward the door. "Joshua," she said in almost a whisper, "I love you too."

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! Have we met our fluff quota yet? Guest, I just love you! Your reviews are so thoughtful. Xavier is thirteen years older than Catherine. So she was ten and he was twenty-three when they met. Now she's twenty and he's thirty-three. I had already planned him to be an ex-Marine that was discharged after being injured in the 1983 Beirut bombing. I didn't really plan for him to fall for Catherine, that just sort of came up later, and those Remus-like tendencies I think would be/should be normal for a thoughtful man given the age and life experience differences. Hopefully the difference is Remus was thinking he should pull away forever, and Xavier is thinking Catherine just needs to grow up a little more. Maybe...we'll see!


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter 54 ~ May, 1997

The northern air was clear and cool in the meadow, and one could say the sun was even smiling down at the moment. There were birds calling from the nearby forest and wildflowers swayed as a gentle breeze danced across their petals. But that peaceful moment was only the silent inhalation before a scream. A spell was shouted into the air, and in the next second chaos had broken out across the field.

The row of dueling dummies standing at attention began to move around the meadow and fire off spells, reds and blues and greens and purples lacing the air. Some Americans reacted faster than others, throwing up shield charms, which bought the slower responders a precious few seconds. Artemis and Remus stood off to the side watching the scene intently. Sheets of parchment and a dictation quill hovered in the air between them, the quill scribbling furiously across the paper as the pair commented on the fighters.

Artemis blew out a frustrated breath as Gareth was hit with a Knockback Jinx. "I was sure he'd catch that one this time. It's a Grade 2 spell!" she muttered.

"He trying to keep track of everyone else," murmured Remus, "rather than staying focused on the opponents."

"The rest are doing pretty well. Rosa's a natural. Hawthorne's a little slower, but he's powerful, goes right for the strongest spell. Jane and Hezekiah are quicker than I expected. Isabel has good instincts, but if something surprises her, it takes her a moment to recover. She can't afford to lose the moment."

"Daisy is…trying," said Remus gently. "I'd hoped practicing in an open area would minimize the distraction of her supernatural guests, but she seems a bit overwhelmed."

"All right, Mr. Lupin, time to get in there with them. "CHANGE!" Artemis yelled from her position, and the werewolves all synchronously transformed, now focusing on dodging the spells that continued to fly from the dueling dummies as they attempted to physically take them down.

Artemis found this sight fascinating to watch. Years of hunting had honed their ability to work together and communicate wordlessly. Kingsley's idea of sending out one American with each Order mission wasn't going to work at all. They functioned better in groups, each one already knowing the others' strength and weaknesses.

Remus had loped into the fray with Kieran, Xander, Xavier and Catherine, the non-magic users, who had been watching nearby. The first time they'd gone out Remus had been horribly embarrassed. Having taken off in an all-out sprint, he'd had tried to stop and turn suddenly, lost his footing and tumbled over and over until he landed in a heap before Kieran. The large Alpha had looked amused and nudged him kindly to his feet. So this time he stayed near the back, watching to try and learn how to fight more effectively in this form.

Kieran, Xander, Xavier, and Oscar took up the leads, their teams falling in behind them. Xander led Isabel, Daisy and Catherine right up the middle, drawing the majority of the spells toward them. The girls were smaller, slightly faster, and better at avoiding the hexes. Kieran, Gareth, and Joshua took the right flank, Xavier and Hezekiah the left, strategically darting in and out. Oscar, Rosa, Hawthorne and Jane spread out along the back, taking down the outliers.

It was an impressive display, and surprisingly effective. Half of the opponents had been taken out in just a few short minutes. It would work well if all of them wound up engaging in an all out battle as a pack. Artemis' main concern was how effective it would remain if they were divided? Her question was unfortunately answered immediately thereafter. Isabel and Daisy were hit and thrown backwards. Joshua veered off to go to them, ducking under a jinx that caught Xander, bowling him over as he yelped. Gareth shifted to try and help Catherine continue to draw fire, but they were both quickly taken out. The others continued their attempts to get closer to the remaining mannequins, but were unsuccessful.

Artemis yelled out the spell to stop the dueling dummies and the werewolves changed back, all of them panting a little. Joshua and Isabel were helping Daisy up, her left ankle clearly swelling. Gareth and Xander had both been hit with a mild cutting spell, and made equally disgusted faces looking over their wounds.

"What hit your ankle, _Querida_?" asked Rosa, coming over to Daisy.

"I did," answered Isabel ruefully. "I landed on her."

"Let's get back to the house so Ellie can fix y'all up," said Kieran. "Artemis, what's the verdict? We seemed to start out pretty strong, but then fell apart."

"Well, I wouldn't say you fell apart," said Artemis slowly. "Your hunting formation is fairly effective short term. And I would say it would even work better if you had the element of surprise. Real people confronted with that many werewolves probably wouldn't be able to keep fighting like the mannequins did."

"I agree," said Remus. "I think we need to focus on working with smaller teams. It's unlikely everyone will be fighting as one pack. We should determine which two or three of you work best together and focus on those teams being as strong and efficient as possible."

"And you'll have to get more vicious," said Artemis sternly. "It might sound repulsive now, but the quickest way to eliminate a dark witch or wizard from being able to continue fighting is to bite off their wand hand. Most can't heal that on their own, and they wouldn't have their wand to cast the spell anyway. It will buy you the most time," she added, her eyes hard.

No one quite knew how to respond to that, so they silently grouped themselves around the portkey that Remus pulled from his cloak — a carved wooden lioness. Artemis raised her eyebrows questioningly at the figurine, and Remus shrugged. "So I can always get home," he said softly, smiling at her.

* * *

Lina hesitated outside the last corridor. The portraits down here were just as gossipy as the rest. She was going to have to start the charade from here. Glancing down at the almost empty bottle of firewhiskey, she paused to take off her shoes and let them dangle from her free hand. Feigning an off balanced sort of strut, she meandered down the hall. Stopping in front of the heavy, carved door, she fumbled for her wand, whispering the password, before casting the spell to unlock it.

She could hear the faint murmur of the portraits in the hall as she closed the door. Pulling a glass from one of her pockets, she poured the last of the firewhiskey, and downed the drink, shuddering. Merlin, she hated whiskey. Artemis had teased her more than once about her preference for margaritas or vodka cocktails. Fluffy drinks, she'd called them. But Lina was just fine only occasionally enjoying the sweet mixed drinks. She despised how drunkenness made you vulnerable, and she didn't need to down glass after glass of firewhiskey to try and forget her past. She may have made choices she didn't particularly like, but she was clear-eyed enough to recognize she always made the only appropriate choice of the moment.

Taking out a small atomizer, she spritzed some additional whiskey in the air, so it smelled like she'd been here much longer. She dropped her shoes, set the empty bottle on the side table, and settled into the chair, dangling her legs over one of the arms and arranging her robes so they showed just a bit of leg. Leaning back, Lina settled in to wait. She didn't have to wait long. Less than ten minutes later the door creaked open, and even Severus' typical aplomb couldn't cover his surprise at finding her sitting in his chair.

"Ssssseverus," Lina hissed, peering up at him. "You know, your name is very hissy. A ssssuitable Ssssslytherin name."

"You're drunk," he stated, both confused and mildly appalled. Lina always showed such magnificent control, he found it disconcerting. "Why are you drunk in my rooms?"

"It's been a month. You need to up your game, Professor." She leaned her head back as she seemed to fight to stay awake.

"I beg your pardon?"

"The school year's almost over. How are you supposed to introduce me to the powers-that-be if you can't ask me out on a date? No one will believe the cover."

"I highly doubt anyone would believe it anyway. I've said from the beginning your plan was exceedingly foolish," he frowned, taking a seat in the matching armchair, and pushing his dark hair away from his eyes irritably.

"Ish not my plan. "Ish his plan," she slurred, waving her hand toward the door. "He told me about the red hair. And ish a good plan. I wish it wasn't a good plan. I don't want to do it."

"Then don't," he sighed. "Go home, and forget this nonsensical act of…of idiocy."

"I can't go home. They're all gone." Something tickled her face, and she swiped her cheek, looking amazed to find her hand wet as she pulled it away. "Am I crying?"

"What do you mean, they're all gone?" Severus asked. He was really at a loss as to how he should handle this.

"I shhh…I shent them away," she said. "Oblivied them and sent them to France. Now the snake won't be able to get them. No more Laurents." Severus brusquely handed her a handkerchief, which she wiped furiously across her eyes. "But that's not why I'm here," she said sternly, trying to scowl at him. "I'm here to help you," she said pointing an accusing finger at him, "and you are making it very difficult. You have to try harder."

"And just how do you suggest I do that?" he asked a trifle angrily. "Fawn all over you like Sirius Black?"

Lina laughed, a sharp harsh sound, before frowning confusedly and covering her mouth. "I don't want to talk about him," she muttered. "You need to lighten up…" she waved the firewhiskey bottle towards him. "Whiskey loosens the tongue, and you and I have a hard time communicating honestly," she said, concentrating on saying each word slowly and correctly. She tried to prop her head up, and frowned at the strands of hair hanging in her face. She grabbed at them, peering dolefully at the color, before turning her attention back on Severus. "I know I'm not her. And you know I'm not her. But nobody else should know…they need to think you're inf…infa…" Lina frowned in concentration, "infatuated!" she finished triumphantly. "Try flirting…"

Snape rubbed his forehead wearily. Curse that Dumbledore. Wasn't enough that Severus had sold his soul for this…this last ditch effort against the Dark Lord? Now it could consume a young woman he had tried to protect, whom he respected. When would he finally feel free of his sins? "Why did you ever agree?" he asked, almost rhetorically.

Lina looked at him sleepily. "You need help," she said, waving her hand around. "Help proving your loyalty, help protecting your secrets…And you protected me."

"I think you need to go to bed. Hopefully in the morning you won't remember any of this," Snape said softly, shaking his head, and standing up to usher her out.

Lina swung her feet to the floor and stood unsteadily. "I've said what I needed to say, and I'm leaving now," she announced, louder than necessary. Taking a few stumbling steps around the chair, she grabbed at the front of Snape's robes to keep herself upright. Blinking up at him she smiled. "You can take me back to my room. It's chiv…chival…gentlemanly. And if anyone sees us they might think the worst of you. Perfect."

Severus looked mildly horrified at the thought, and moved to extract himself from her grip, but she clutched at him tighter. "Sir, you have to try to make this work," Lina said sternly. "If I do this on my own it will just be a mess. I can't get close to them without you." The horrified look faded to grim resignation, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, leading her towards the door.

Luckily, or unluckily, depending on who you asked, they ran across three different prefects on duty. Snape chased them off with a savage glare, but from the way they kept glancing back, the damage was done. He intended to leave her at her door, but she couldn't manage the key, and then practically dragged him inside as she shoved the door open. Having finally deposited her in an armchair, he exited, straightening his robes and brushing his hair back from his face as he left room, to the astonishment of Professor Flitwick, who was just coming down the corridor. Severus only just remembered to shoot the man an attempt at a smug smile rather than his customary glare, as he strode past, which came off more like a grimace. If he could play the loyal servant to the Dark Lord, surely he would be able to do this, even if it was just to help Lina survive the stupid and foolhardy plan.

Inside her room, Lina sighed tiredly. It was a good performance. Hopefully that would do the trick. Men were never more irritating than when stubbornly insisting they knew better. Part of her wanted to pour out her frustrations in a letter to Sirius, but she didn't. It was feeble, wishful thinking. She'd said her good-byes, and that was that. If she survived, and made it back, and he was still interested, then she would happily ensure every job she took from then on required backup. If he'd moved on, then…she abruptly shut down her train of thought. Lina wasn't ready to admit, even to herself that she'd be heartbroken. She had chosen her path long ago.

* * *

Humming softly to herself, Catherine shoved the door closed with her foot and made her way toward the stairs, balancing the stack of textbooks carefully in her arms. The librarian had been more than kind helping her find some things to get her started.

"Do you need some help? What are you doing with all those?" Xavier asked, coming into the hallway from the kitchen stairs.

Catherine tried to turn to answer him, and several of the books tumbled off the stack onto the floor.

Xavier stepped forward and picked up the books from the floor. "Gray's Anatomy for Students. Modern Chemistry. Fundamentals of Nursing." He paused, a little surprised that she had apparently taken his words to heart. "So these are…I mean, you're…"

"I'm living my life," she said, trying to smile, but not quite managing. "They're sort of introductory stuff you should know before you enroll in nursing school. Ellie is going to help me. Our, uh, homeschool curriculum was a little lax in the sciences. You can set those back on the top of the pile."

"Hey, Cat, Tonks said we could meet her and her friend, Aarav, at six. Is that ok?" said Hezekiah, skidding to a stop in the hallway.

"Sure, that's fine," she said, peering over the stack of books. "I already told Jane we wouldn't be here for dinner."

"Y'all are going out?" asked Xavier, glancing toward Hezekiah.

Hezekiah shot him a look that seemed to say, _And what are you going to do about it?_ "Nym and I had plans to go out, and her friend came into town unexpectedly. He plays Quidditch for Mumbai. She asked if one of the girls wanted to come with."

"Oh…well, that's great…I hope y'all have a good time. Um, Cat, why don't I carry the books for you?"

"No, thanks. I've got them now. How dressy is this dinner?"

Hezekiah scrunched up his face thinking about it. "Not really dressy, but not jeans."

"Ok, I'll be ready by five thirty. Does that work?"

"Perfect!"

Catherine continued up the stairs, balancing her pile of books, and still humming. Hezekiah rolled his eyes as Xavier watched her walk away, and poked a finger at him. "You, my friend, are an idiot."

"No. This is good. She needs to meet people and try new things," Xavier said stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Whatever, man. Look, I watched her sing that song, and she was singing it for you. When you turned your back on her, trying to pretend you didn't want what she was offering up, she completely closed down. But you go ahead and waste your time pining after her while she's trying new things she doesn't really want to try, and meeting new people she doesn't really care about. You keep telling yourself it's for her own good, rather than recognizing that she's not trying to get away from her small-town life like you were trying to get away from yours."

Xavier couldn't think of a reasonable response to that, and the old song Catherine had been humming finally clicked.

 _Sometimes an April day will suddenly bring showers_

 _Rain to grow the flowers for her first bouquet_

 _But April love can slip right through your fingers_

 _So if she's the one don't let her run away_

* * *

Daisy darted out of the room as soon as the Order meeting was finished, trying to catch up to Professor Snape before he left. "Um, Professor?" she called softly, as he reached the front door. Snape turned and frowned at the girl. He really didn't want any more strange, unsolicited advice from her regarding the state of his soul, or whatever it was she saw.

"Yes, what is it?" he responded in a clipped, cold voice.

"I had a question about one of your students…Pansy Parkinson…um, I think we might be related, and I was wondering what you could tell me about her," Daisy finished in a rush, her hands twisting together nervously.

Severus was well and truly speechless. His subconscious had vaguely noted the girl's familiarity, but not made the connection. He stared at her intently, trying to find the similarities — an angle of the cheekbone or eye color, or something. He supposed their noses both turned up a little, and maybe if Daisy scowled…It was mind boggling. This girl was open, warm and trusting, he would have said almost simple. Pansy was stiff, grasping, mocking and vindictive.

"Family is often more of a burden than a blessing," he said coldly. "You would do well to forget this association."

"I'd like to write her a letter," said Daisy, ignoring his last comment. "Of course, it would almost be anonymous. I couldn't tell her about any of this…or us, really," she added, waving her hand around to indicate the entire house. "But I could at least tell her I…I _am_. That I exist, and that someday I would like to meet her. Don't you think so?" She looked up at him imploringly.

Severus closed his eyes briefly. What had happened to his life? Did he have some sort of invisible sign around his neck that advertised him as a help to foolish idealists the world over?

"I hear you have a new assistant, Snivellous," called Black from the doorway of the dining room, his voice mocking. "Better watch yourself. We all know how you're drawn to the red heads."

Snape froze for a split second. Surely he didn't know Lina was at Hogwarts? She'd been pretty emphatic on that point from the beginning; she'd cut all ties. Turning deliberately away from Daisy to face him, Snape studied Black's face — the man was just trying to goad him, of course he didn't know anything. Probably thought he was getting him back for the cold way he'd responded to the American girl. _He's always been so obvious_ , Severus thought, more tired than annoyed. _Black takes the conspicuous bait, and assumes the rest of the world will do the same._

In the silence that stretched between them, Sirius' face flashed a hint of regret, and Snape swallowed the insult that was on the tip of his tongue. "So far," Severus said honestly, "she seems to be more trouble than she's worth, and I think hiring her was a ridiculous idea. I guess time will tell."

Sirius only gave him a brief nod, which Severus figured was as close to an apology as the man was capable of, and went back into the dining room.

Turning back to Daisy, Snape was frustrated to find that same strange look of approval on her face that she'd had the first time they'd spoke. "Well done, Professor!" she said enthusiastically. "You're really not letting that enemy have a foothold. Forgiveness can close the door on so many of them!"

Severus fixed her with what he hoped was a ferocious enough glare to keep her quiet. "No one has asked my forgiveness," he said icily. "If you are quite finished with your prattle, I need to get back to the school."

"Professor," she said kindly, "they can't ask for forgiveness if they're dead. But you can still offer it." With that cryptic statement, and an encouraging sort of smile, Daisy disappeared, and Snape was left staring down an empty hallway.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! Sorry if this chapter feels a little flat. It does to me at least. It's been a weird week. Anyway...Guest, Lina is the person Snape is leading into the lion's den. Hopefully this chapter made that a little clearer. I'm glad Harry had Sirius and Remus to talk to about the horcurxes too. I think a major theme of the Harry Potter series is that adults either can't be trusted, or can be trusted but still don't make good decisions, or simply aren't there, and I find that a little frustrating. I think Jane and Artemis quite enjoy all their cooking. My SIL is like that, just keep out of her way and let her run the kitchen. ;) And she's a phenomenal cook. Did you ask about Daisy and Joshua's ages? They (plus Gareth and Catherine) are all 19-20. I haven't set down particular birthdays for any of them. Isabel is 18. I did not intentionally make the age difference between Xavier and Catherine the same as Remus and Tonks. Oops! That was just how old they turned out to be based on how old I needed them to be when they had other life experiences. :)


	55. Chapter 55

Chapter 55 ~ May, 1997

"Be prepared, I'm going to place my hand on your knee."

Professor Snape's customary glaring mask that he wore in the hallways broke for a moment at Lina's low voice, as she came up beside him in the corridor on his way to dinner. Rolling his eyes, Severus gave a long-suffering kind of sigh. "And I'm supposed to lean over and whisper sweet nothings in your ear I suppose?" he remarked dryly.

Lina chuckled, and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Heaven forbid. You may remove my hand, like you're trying to be discreet and then later lean over and pretend to say something suggestive. I'll take care of the rest."

Whatever comeback Severus had was cut off by a voice from down the hallway, screaming, "MURDER! MURDER IN THE BATHROOM! MURDER!"

Drawing their wands, the two burst through the door into the boy's lavatory. Harry was standing over Draco Malfoy, the blond's hair almost as red as Lina's from the blood that pooled around him. Snape, who seemed to know instinctively what had happened, pushed Harry roughly out of the way. Lina, conditioned to secure an area, quickly disarmed Harry, grabbed up Draco's wand and checked the other bathroom stalls for anyone else. Finally pausing long enough to feel a frisson of shock at the situation, Lina watched Severus kneeling beside the Malfoy boy, murmuring a healing spell over and over to close up the wounds that littered his face and chest. Harry stood there, soaked in blood and water, trembling.

"What happened?" she asked sternly.

"I just…he…I didn't know what it would do," Harry whispered, staring miserably at the blood on his hands.

Snape pulled Draco to his feet. "You need the hospital wing. There may be a certain amount of scarring, but if you take dittany immediately we might avoid even that... Come..."

He supported Malfoy across the bathroom, turning at the door to say in a voice of cold fury, "And you, Potter... You wait here with…" Lina shook her head quickly. She'd been lucky that Harry hadn't recognized her thus far, but it wasn't a good idea to spend time alone with him. Some phrase or quirk that she hadn't counted on could give her away. "You wait here for me," Snape finished.

Lina followed him out of the room, moving quickly down the hallway. "Professor…" she began.

"Not now," he snapped. Having deposited Draco with Madame Pomfrey, they turned to make their way back to Harry.

"Sir," Lina tried again. "That was…that was your spell, wasn't it? It was badly done, but that was _yours_."

"Yes," he muttered irritably, continuing his stiff walk down the hall and not looking at her.

Lina grabbed his arm and steered him into a small alcove. "Well he clearly didn't know how to use it properly, so where did he learn it?" she whispered harshly. "Could he have overheard some other students? So help me, Professor, if you've been teaching this to anyone, I…"

Severus jerked his arm away. "Of course I haven't been teaching that!" he hissed, his dark eyes glittering angrily. "I haven't used that spell on a person in years. Some of my…associates…may know it, but I highly doubt Potter has been anywhere he could have overheard that spell. I'm certain I know where he learned it, and I will take care of it. Trust Potter to wield a spell of precision like it's a bloody mallet," he finished mockingly.

"He's a _kid_ ," Lina snapped. "He shouldn't be wielding a spell like that _at all_."

Severus' shoulders slumped down a little. "You would rather the students use spells that merely damage the spirit, then? A nice little _Levicorpus_ that wounds the psyche but not the body?"

Lina sighed and leaned against the wall. "I'm going to pretend that's a rhetorical question. Clearly my choice to hang Charlie Weasley upside down by his pants in the Great Hall third year wasn't a kind or wise decision."

Snape blinked at her, as though her confession startled him, and then shook his head. "He wasn't the only one on the receiving end of that particular style of attack."

"So isn't that why we're both here? Trying to make amends for a youth focused on self-preservation and revenge?"

Severus stiffened suddenly and glared at her. "Is this another special kind of manipulation to encourage me to confide in you and make this farce more realistic? You did quite well with that drunken harlot routine, but I will not be made a fool of again."

Lina raised her eyebrows. "I was hardly trying to make a fool of you. I was merely attempting, albeit artificially, to dissolve this barrier of formality that you insist on keeping between us. Whether you like it or not, I'm one of the few people in this world who happens to respect and sort of like the person you truly are, and I'm in this with you to the bitter end."

She turned abruptly and walked away, red hair swishing behind her in a way that made Severus' stomach twist painfully. Gritting his teeth, he moved down the opposite corridor to go deal with Potter.

* * *

Isabel groaned as she flopped down on the drawing room sofa. "I've got muscles that ache that I didn't even know I had," she muttered, her face buried in a pillow.

"I'm going to be too stiff to make it to the shower by the time it's my turn," agreed Daisy, sinking down tiredly on the other sofa.

"We did better today though," said Joshua, sprawled across the floor, his arm over his eyes. "Xavier didn't shout nearly so much."

"Ugh, why did he ever mention we needed more endurance training?" came Isabel's muffled voice from the pillow. "Stupid Marines."

"Izzy, you're all sweaty. Get off that pillow," said Catherine, from floor beside her. "At least you didn't have to run extra laps through that obstacle course. My arms and legs feel like rubber."

"He probably just did that so he could watch you run," joked Gareth, smirking at her.

"Oh, please," said Catherine, elbowing him. "I was transformed, splattered with mud, and panting like crazy."

"Doesn't mean he didn't like it," offered Joshua.

The others laughed, and Catherine rolled her eyes. "How about we discuss Gareth getting hit with that leg-locker curse, falling flat on his back, and Joshua tripping over him?"

"I'll admit, not my finest moment," grinned Gareth good-naturedly. "I get distracted making sure Izzy doesn't get hexed."

"Hey!" came the muffled protest. "I'm doing better."

"How did it go writing that letter to your sister?" Joshua asked Daisy, nudging her with his foot.

Daisy shrugged. "I wrote it, but I'm not sure about sending it. I think I said too much for the first letter. I mean, not about us or being a werewolf or anything, but about how our parents gave me up, and I grew up in America and I wanted to introduce myself."

"Why would that be too much for the first letter?" asked Gareth, looking puzzled.

"Well, you know how I am…it's probably sort of rambling. And it seems like, well that Pansy maybe isn't a particularly kind person. So she might not take it…well."

Joshua nudged her again. "You just be you, don't worry about the rest."

"I'll read over it if you want," offered Gareth. "I'm getting lots of practice writing letters that say a lot without really saying anything important. Papá says stockholders and boards require those sort of letters at least once or twice a quarter," he added with a chuckle.

"Did you hear Artemis and Remus talking about changing up the spells next week?" asked Catherine. "She was saying we needed practice fighting darker stuff and pushing through any injuries."

"Whew, I did," said Gareth, shaking his head. "Remus gave one of those tired little sighs he does sometimes, and asked if she thought maybe they were pushing us too hard. She got really quiet and said we wouldn't be here if it weren't for her, and she owed it to us to make sure we were as strong and prepared as we possibly could be."

They all silently pondered that for a moment, and then Catherine said softly, "Anyone else miss the days when our biggest problem was deciding how to divide up chores fairly?"

"We should all get tattoos!" Isabel said, sitting up suddenly.

Catherine raised her eyebrows at the sudden change in topic. "Why?"

"It would be good for morale. The Howling Commandos need a symbol, like a…like a military patch. You know, Xavier's got one on his old jacket that says what his battalion was or whatever. It's got like an eagle on it. We can get…I don't know…something."

"Wolves howling at the moon?" suggested Gareth wryly. "No thanks."

"You can get like a weapon or something more manly if you have to," huffed Isabel in exasperation.

"I thought we _were_ the weapons," said Joshua.

Catherine sighed, a little frustrated. "I'm having a hard time with that, honestly…doesn't that make us just like the Death Eaters? How is what we're doing any different than what they tried to make us do in the first place?"

"Come on, Cat!" said Gareth. "Besides the obvious fact that we're all adults and not forcing children to murder people that may or may not have done anything wrong? Sometimes evil has to be fought with violence. It's not like you can ask them to have a polite debate to try and change their minds about blood status. I figure they became animals the moment they stopped treating other humans with dignity. I'm simply meeting them on their own level."

"Maybe, but I'm not sure I even want to be considered a weapon of…of right."

"They are struck down because of their disobedience, and to this doom they were appointed," Daisy whispered softly, her head tilted to the side, and her face scrunched up in thought as she listened to the wolves around her. "When we come against them they will have had every opportunity to turn away from their path of destruction."

"And what about the ones simply caught up in their path?" whispered Catherine.

Daisy turned and looked at her sadly. "We're all caught up in a…sort of a great rebellion. That's where the enemies come from. They fight against what is good and right, and sometimes evil has consequences for the innocent. "

"Then we have to do our part. Enlisted or drafted, we're all in this together," said Isabel firmly. "And the five of us are getting tattoos. We can ask Sirius who he uses. It's probably someone local."

Gareth laughed and tugged lightly on her ponytail. "Izzy…Sirius has prison tattoos. He didn't visit the shop around the corner."

* * *

Sirius tugged the window open, letting in a rush of fresh air. He inhaled deeply, running a hand tiredly through his hair. Slumping down into the chair in his studio, he stared at the portrait of James and Lily and Harry. Lily held up Harry's hand to give a little wave, and James leaned against the frame, as though settling in for a long talk. "I'm not sure I'm making a good job of this godfather routine," he said to James guiltily. "Minnie sent me a letter this morning. Harry got into a fight and used some sort of dark curse against Lucius Malfoy's son. I don't blame him for fighting of course — we're pretty sure Draco's a Death Eater or at least well on his way to being one. But…well, Harry apparently used _Sectumsempra_. Snape's specialty, you remember." James's eyes widened and he shook his head sadly.

"Yeah, it's a vicious curse," Sirius went on. "Now I'm just wondering…what should I say to Harry about it? Should I say something? Should I wait for him to tell me about it? You know, it's such a little thing that happened in light of all the other incidents. Really, Lily, you'd be absolutely furious at what Harry's had to deal with." Lily cuddled Harry a little tighter, her lips pressed into a thin, disapproving line. "But…well, we don't want him to get a taste for using those dark spells, do we? They might be brutally effective, but…he is only sixteen. It really seems like a sort of _dad_ moment. But…you're not here. There's just me. And there's Remus, but Harry seems a little closed off around him. Moony's own fault, of course. He had a whole year to talk to him about us, but couldn't bring himself to do it. Said it would have been selfish on his part and only reminded Harry of what he didn't have. Rubbish. Moony'd spent too many years alone, and you know what that does to him. He was always worse at the start of each new term, too many days left to his own thoughts without us to pull him out. He's better now, but we've only got Harry part of each holiday, and that's not a lot of time to strengthen their relationship.

"Anyway," Sirius said, shaking his head at his trailing thoughts, "getting back to the incident with Draco…" A swooshing sound interrupted him as a large snowy owl came in through the window and landed gracefully on his knee, letting out a little screech.

"Well, hello there, Hedwig. Brought me something, have you?" Sirius untied the parchment from her leg and got up to let her out of the room. "You go on down to the kitchen. I'm sure someone will be there and give you a treat. Come back when you're finished and I'll send a letter for Harry along with you. There's a girl…" The owl pecked at his hair affectionately and swooped daintily down the staircase.

"Did I just see Hedwig?" Remus asked from the doorway, Ana in his arms.

Sirius nodded and waved the letter at him. "Do you remember how sometimes James would rush to write a letter home trying to explain why his mum and dad would shortly be getting a letter from Minnie about one of our mischievous misdeeds? I think Harry's just done the same thing." Unrolling the parchment, Sirius held it up for Remus to read over his shoulder. "Yes, that's just what this is…see here? Say's he read the spell in a book and didn't know what it would do. He's sure Draco is working on something for Voldemort and is terrified of failing him."

"Seems rather a light punishment, just detention with Severus," remarked Remus, pulling Ana back before she could grab a fistful of Sirius' hair. "And I can't imagine in which book he would have read about _Sectumsempra_. Severus invented that one. Remember the end of our sixth year? He and James had gotten into it, and he swung around and cast the curse on some Hufflepuff's toad, like he was taunting James with what he could do. I didn't know toads had that much blood in them," he added, making a face.

"Maybe he picked it up from one of Snape's memories when they were doing the Occlumency lessons?" said Sirius unconcernedly. "I was talking with James about how to handle it. I should say something about steering clear from dark spells, don't you think?"

"Perhaps you should suggest he practice unknown spells on toads first," suggested Remus dryly.

"Moony, do you think…I mean, this sort of happened because Harry's trying to keep an eye on Draco, isn't he? He's certain Draco's up to something, and doesn't think anyone's handling it. He could wind up in this same situation again if he keeps it up."

Remus sat down in the armchair by the window. He pulled a small blanket off the back of the chair and spread it out on the floor, laid Ana down on it and conjured a little flock of butterflies to flutter above her head like a mobile. She kicked and squealed delightedly, smiling at the shimmery colors. Remus watched her silently for a minute, before looking up at the painting of Harry and his parents. Harry wasn't much older than Ana in the painting. Back then he'd been cherished, protected, and it had all crashed down around him. Miraculous really, that Harry was as kind and good as he was. But he did have trouble trusting adults. He seemed to trust Sirius well enough, but Remus wasn't sure Harry really saw Sirius as an adult. Not surprising, perhaps, but it complicated things. He was such an amalgamation of his parents. That burning need to _know_ things. To hunt down the truth and understand the puzzle pieces. That was Lily — determined and clever. But jumping into the thick of things and trying to protect everyone; not worrying so much about how to do something as knowing something had to be done. That was James — fierce and reckless.

Finally simply shaking his head a little helplessly at Sirius, Remus said, "I want to tell him that he needs to learn to take our advice once in a while and trust that the situation is being handled, even if it's not being handled the way he wants it. But I don't think he'd really listen to that. He'll be of age in a few months, and Merlin knows he's had plenty of experience getting out of tight spots. Maybe we need to trust him more."

Sirius sat down on the floor beside Ana, and tickled her, smiling at her little giggles. "Surely we'll get him for good this time…find those horcurxes and make certain he can never return. It can't keep going on endlessly, can it? Generations locked in a war against one man? If we've got Dumbledore and Harry and all of us working together… There shouldn't be any more children growing up without their parents because of him," he whispered.

Remus shivered at the thought. It was a war after all. No one was promised tomorrow.

* * *

This chapter is a little short, but it felt like the right place to end it. Thanks for reading!


	56. Chapter 56

This is all Xavier/Catherine fluffy angst, or angsty fluff. If that's not your thing, feel free to skip this chapter. It won't affect the plot line whatsoever. ;)

* * *

Chapter 56 ~ May, 1997

"Now, she can have a bottle at eight o'clock before you put her to bed." Artemis paused and set her hand on the girl's arm. "Thank you Catherine, I really appreciate you watching her," she said sincerely. "Are you sure you weren't planning on going with the others?"

"I'm positive," said Catherine emphatically. "It will be quite a while I think before I'll make it back to karaoke night."

"Well don't let fear keep you from doing what you enjoy…" Artemis began, but Catherine cut her off.

"No, I'm not afraid. After the last experience and what we've been learning over the past few weeks I feel pretty capable of handling myself. But bars and lots of people…the night life…it's just not really my thing. I guess I'm just not much of a city girl."

"All right. We'll probably be late coming home. The restaurant is hosting some sort of dance contest Remus wants to watch. He'll probably pick up all kinds of ridiculous moves he'll make me practice," Artemis laughed, her smile warm and happy.

"You'll have to teach us all," said Catherine, reaching out to take Ana. "Isabel is planning some sort of big band night for Gareth's birthday. It's going to be a surprise. Maybe you two could do an exhibition dance."

"No one's ever accused me of being an exhibitionist," said Remus, coming up to them. "It sounds like I should avoid whatever you two are scheming about."

"And that's why you shouldn't eavesdrop," chided Artemis, leaning over and kissing his cheek. "You missed the entire point of the conversation."

"We should go, our reservation is at seven," said Remus, pulling her toward the door. "Thank you for watching Ana, Catherine. I hope you have a quiet evening."

"We'll be just fine," called Catherine. "Maybe we'll get Hawthorne to tell us a story. He always makes them fun — very dramatic."

The pair blew Ana a kiss and disappeared out the door. A moment later the front hallway was crowded with a group ready for their own night out. Sirius, Xander, Hezekiah, Tonks, Gareth, Joshua and Daisy left in a boisterous laughing herd for the karaoke bar. Catherine was suspicious when Isabel wasn't among them, but she thundered down the stairs a moment later wearing a…

"Izzy, you're wearing a dress…with flowers on it," stated Catherine. "You always said they made you feel childish."

"Oh…well, I just thought it might be time for a change. I saw a dress like this on a television show in a shop."

Catherine raised her eyebrows. "You'll have to hurry to catch up to the others, they just left a minute ago."

"Oh…I'm not actually going to karaoke…I, uh…well…"

Isabel was saved by a firm knock at the front door. She tried to open the door just far enough to squeeze through and escape, but Catherine grabbed the door knob and yanked it open. And there stood George Weasley. "Hi Cat. You ready to go, Izzy?"

"Yes." Turning back to Catherine she took a deep breath and said, "George and I are…are going out on a date…or…that is…we're just going out for ice cream…sort of…I mean…not just…"

Catherine gave Isabel her best big sister stare, and Isabel crumbled. "We're pretending to go on a date so that we can work on a surprise for Gareth's birthday," she said in a rush.

Shaking her head with an exasperated sigh, Catherine turned to George who had watched the interaction with a baffled expression. "Isabel is a terrible liar. Gives herself away every time. Not that that's a character flaw — far from it. But if you are going to continue meeting to work on whatever surprise this is, maybe you'd better be the one to talk about it."

George nodded like he was pondering this solemnly before he grinned cheekily at the blushing Isabel. "Maybe we should just go out on dates and I'll surprise you with the times we actually work on Gareth's project."

"Oh," Isabel said in a small voice. "That…that would work."

Laughing to herself as the front door closed on those two, Catherine turned to see the rest of the household coming down the stairs. Oscar, Rosa, Hawthorne, Jane, Kieran, and Ellie were all dressed up a little, Xavier trailing behind them in his typical jeans and t-shirt carrying Finn.

"Oh, Catherine, good, you haven't left yet," said Ellie. "Would you mind telling Artemis that Xavier's going to stay here and watch Finn for me, so she doesn't have to worry about him."

"Actually, Artemis and Remus went out," said Catherine slowly. "If she was supposed to watch Finn, she must have forgotten. I told her I would watch Ana for them."

There was an awkward shuffling moment as the three couples realized Catherine and Xavier were going to be left here alone together to watch the two children.

"Oh for goodness' sake, don't make this weird," Catherine finally huffed. "Go out, have a good time. We will be just fine…Or I can watch both of the kids and Xavier can go with you."

Xavier made a face. "No thanks. They're going out to a fancy dinner and to see _Anna Karenina._ It's fine…we'll be fine…no weirdness whatsoever."

* * *

And that was mostly true.

Dinner for just the four of them was very quiet. Xavier had already told Finn he could help make his own dinner, so the little boy was stationed on a step stool in front of the counter, very methodically arranging carrot sticks and grapes on his plate while Xavier assembled sandwiches and warmed up some soup. Catherine held Ana on her lap, keeping her entertained with a rattle, and trying not to let her heart melt watching Xavier's interactions with Finn.

"No, I wan' 'at one," said Finn, pointing to something on the countertop.

"Pumpernickel?" laughed Xavier. "All right, little man."

Finn said something else that Catherine couldn't catch, and Xavier nodded. "Sure, put it right there on my sandwich."

"I don' yike 'matoes," came the little voice again.

"I know. All those tomatoes are for me and Catherine…No, not on that one. Cat doesn't like lettuce on her sandwiches."

Catherine saw his shoulders stiffen, as though he regretted speaking those last words aloud. There wasn't any need for him to worry though. She could certainly have made his favorite sandwich without thinking about it. She probably could for any of them. It's just what happened when you lived together so closely for so many years. But Xavier seemed to think it was something he noticed about her that he shouldn't have noticed.

Biting back a sigh, Catherine tried to focus her attention on the baby in her lap. Ana smiled up at her, happily gumming her own little fist. "You don't get to have opinions on food yet, do you, little miss?" Catherine said softly. "You have to be content with what you're given."

"Ana d'inks milk," said Finn helpfully, climbing up into the chair beside her and leaning over to pat the baby on the head.

"That's right. And what do you like to drink?" Catherine asked, one hand reaching out to steady him. "You'd better sit down."

"I yike chok'it milk!"

"No chocolate milk tonight, buddy, sorry," Xavier said, bringing Finn's plate over to the table. "Your mama said you had to drink water. But if you eat a good dinner you can have a cookie."

"Yay! I ha' cookie!" cheered Finn, promptly grabbing up part of his sandwich and shoving it in his mouth.

"Whoa there," chuckled Catherine. "Take bites, remember?"

Finn nodded agreeably and settled down to eat. Catherine placed Ana in her little swing seat on the table top and Xavier set the other plates on the table. He walked over to Artemis' radio and flipped it on. "If they're at a swing dance contest she'll probably unconsciously send some pretty good music over here."

The first song that began was a quartet singing "Sweet Georgia Brown," and Xavier began laughing quietly, a far away look in his eyes.

"What's funny about the song?" asked Catherine. "Seems like it's a nice memory for you."

Xavier smiled. "I'd actually forgotten this was a real song. It's kind of silly…it's a theme for a basketball team, the Harlem Globetrotters, and one time they put them in this cartoon on television…so ridiculous…there's a dog and these kids that chase monsters and ghosts, but the monsters always wind up being just a regular bad guy in a costume. I loved that show. Anyway, it just reminded me of watching cartoons on Saturday mornings when I was little…sorry."

"Why be sorry? I can just see you and Xander sitting on an old couch watching television, probably eating your way through those boxes of sugary cereal Jane's complained about," Catherine laughed.

"Frosted Flakes," he said softly. "You've probably never had them, have you?"

"No. When we first came to America Grams and Nana were big on having lots of eggs and bacon and toast with butter. They thought we were too skinny. Then after Jane came there were a lot more sweet things — coffee cakes and cinnamon rolls. I was standing on a stool helping scramble eggs when I was just a little older than Finn…after we'd helped collect the eggs of course."

"Shik'ns have eggs," contributed Finn importantly.

"Yes they do. Do you miss the chickens?" Xavier asked him, reaching to grab the little boy's cup before he knocked it over with his full body expression of agreement.

"Shik'ns say bawk, bawk, bawk! Dey chase me!" Finn said gleefully.

Catherine had thought perhaps the music would probably help cover any awkward silences during the meal. But she was happily surprised to find any silences weren't actually awkward at all. The quiet moments felt normal and peaceful, rather than strained between the two naturally reticent people.

"How is it going reading through all those science books?" Xavier asked near the end of the meal.

"Pretty well I think," Catherine replied. "There's a lot of memorization, but it's interesting. We didn't have much science instruction growing up beyond what we could experience with the garden and chickens, or occasional books we could find. It wasn't Hawthorne or Rosa's field of study, so I'm not sure they thought much about it."

"I don't think the wizarding world is too big on the sciences in general," said Xavier thoughtfully. "If everything can be handled with a flick of a wand there's not much call to find other ways to try and understand the world or bend it to your will. I wish I'd realized that years ago. I could have tried to teach y'all something about electricity or wiring. Practical stuff anyway. I don't guess I know too much theory-wise."

Ana was beginning to squirm frustratedly in her seat, and Finn then proudly popped the last grape in his mouth, declaring that he was ready for his cookie. Their dinner was over. Scooping up the little girl and with Finn trailing cookie crumbs behind her, Catherine took the two upstairs for a bath while Xavier cleaned up the kitchen.

* * *

It was really too domestic and homey. Xavier frowned down at the sudsy water as he scrubbed the pot from the soup a little harder than necessary. He had to stop imagining moments like this in a small house of their own. It was't fair. She had so much more of life to experience before she was tied down to something like that. _But she said she didn't even like being here in the city with so much going on._ Xavier shook the pesky thought away. It didn't have anything to do with being in the city. She'd never sat down and watched a television show. She'd never driven a car. Heck, she'd never even been in a car! Ugh stop, now he was picturing the two of them on a road trip, wisps of her hair escaping from her long braid as the wind danced through open car windows.

With all the dishes washed and set in the drying pan, Xavier wiped the crumbs from the table and swept the floor, trying to erase the memory of her taking his hand and asking if he would consider her after she'd had a chance to live her life. Deep water…deep enough to drown in. They were too strong, his feelings. It wasn't fair to pour all of his expectations out on her when she didn't have any experience with men. Xander sounded unexpectedly in his head arguing that he hardly had any more experience himself, and what was he waiting for exactly? Someone else to steal her heart and then break it? Xavier told his brother's voice very firmly to shut up. Of course he didn't want her heart to be broken. Of course he didn't really want her to fall madly in love with someone else. He just wanted…what did he want exactly? The more he tried to think it out the more muddled everything seemed. He knew he didn't want her to look back in ten or twenty or thirty years and think she settled for the first man that paid attention to her. He didn't want her to feel like she missed out on some normal right of passage for a woman her age. _And what is normal? You never thought your life growing up was normal - dad not around, mom barely holding things together. Watching friends die screaming around you because of madman's bomb isn't normal. Trying to rob a complete stranger to help pay your mother's hospital bills isn't normal. Becoming a werewolf sure isn't normal. Almost getting killed by your brother when both of you were out of your heads with bloodlust isn't normal. Normal doesn't exist. There's only making the best of what you're given each moment._

Shaking the swirl of thoughts out of his head, Xavier climbed the stairs, following the sounds of giggles and splashing water and Catherine's soft voice, trying to steel himself against anymore silly romantic notions. He was met at the top of the stairs by a dripping, naked little boy racing down the hallway laughing hysterically. Xavier crossed his arms and tried to look menacingly at Finn, who grinned up at him unrepentantly. "Are you giving Cat a hard time?" he asked in a stern voice.

"I not go bed!" Finn sang out. Catherine came to the doorway carrying Ana wrapped up in a towel and tossed a second towel to Xavier.

He wrapped the fluffy towel around the boy and rubbed the wet hair plastered to the top of his head. "You have to go to bed, little man," Xavier said seriously. "Otherwise I'll get into trouble with your mama and Kieran, and they might make me do extra chores."

"I halp you!" said Finn. "I halp you dig weeds!" Wriggling away from the towel, Finn moved to clamber up the stairs toward the roof.

"Oh no you don't!" laughed Xavier. "It's too late to weed tonight, and you're all nice and clean from your bath. We'll dig in the dirt tomorrow. Go on to your room and pick out your pajamas."

Finn dashed off, and Xavier followed him. In the time he finally got Finn to agree to a pair of pjs and choose a bedtime story, Catherine had joined them. Ana was snuggled up in her own footed pajamas and eagerly drinking her bottle. Xavier, a little embarrassed to have Catherine as part of the audience, launched into the story he'd promised Finn, a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk, Appalachian style.

Finn and Catherine watched wide-eyed as the typically reserved Xavier brought to life a boy named Jack with an accent so thick Catherine thought she completely missed some words, his long-suffering mother, a pitiful cow, a stomping giant-lady and her husband, and a magic fiddle.

Catherine's traitorous mind was suddenly full of images of Xavier telling bedtime stories to their own children, an impossibility of course. She'd never be able to bear her own children, and she highly doubted any government would be inclined to let werewolves adopt. It was a reality she thought she'd come to terms with long ago, but a moment like this made her heart ache just a little.

When Xavier crashed to the floor as he described the giant falling from the beanstalk, Finn leapt upon him with glee for an impromptu wrestling match. Amid yells and tickles and giggles, the little boy was finally deposited happy and exhausted into his own bed. He consented to having the blanket tucked tightly around him and held a stuffed bear, much loved and patched, close to his face.

Ana's turn was next. Catherine rubbed the baby's tummy gently, humming a few lullabies until she drifted off to sleep. Tiptoeing out into the hallway, Catherine and Xavier looked at each other for a moment uncertainly. Without the children to focus on, the two weren't quite sure what to do next. "Would you like some coffee?" Catherine asked hesitantly. "And Jane made a couple pies earlier today. Peach, I think."

"Um, sure…peach is one of my favorites."

"I know," Catherine said, and then wished she'd bit her tongue, seeing the pained expression on his face. This was all so frustrating. Growing up with the expectation that she'd be claimed and married off to someone made this situation seem ludicrous and backwards. She'd spent years wrapping her mind around marrying regardless of romantic feelings, not having romantic feelings and then trying to ignore them. That determined expression flitted across her face briefly. Coffee and pie it would be, with some long-overdue conversation.

* * *

Catherine silently served slices of the pie. She didn't need to ask how he took it, and she wasn't going to pretend she did — with ice cream, his coffee with cream and no sugar. "Don't think too much about it," Catherine said gently, seeing his face as she set down the plate. "Helping in the kitchen for so many years…I know how everyone takes their coffee, what their favorite dessert is, and how they prefer their sandwiches."

"I don't," Xavier muttered sheepishly. "I only pay attention to y…" his voice trailed off, and he shoveled a bite of pie in his mouth, unable to make eye contact.

"What sort of a life do you think it's important for me to experience?" she asked suddenly, pushing her long hair back over her shoulder so it didn't dangle into the whipped cream as she leaned forward and took a bite.

Xavier was quiet for a long moment gathering his courage and his thoughts. "I don't want you to regret…settling for a life like the one you had always expected. I think you deserve more than that."

Nodding, Catherine took another bite of the pie, swallowing it slowly and then sipping her tea. If Xavier thought that answer was enough for the quiet girl he was very much mistaken. "The life I expected," she said deliberately, "was to be married off to someone I knew fairly well, but probably didn't love any differently than a brother, live, grow old, and die within the same few square miles. That life doesn't exist anymore, so I could hardly settle for it."

"But there is still more to see and know. You're still trapped by the expectations of everyone to fight when you don't want to. You still can't really go out in the world and meet different kinds of people, and…"

"Xavier, you talk like I have to do all those things alone. Even without a war, even with no limitations on our lives I wouldn't ramble the world on my own meeting people and trying new things. I would be happy to travel a little and see far off places and try exotic foods and experience different cultures. But I would want to share that with someone. And that someone wouldn't restrict the experience, they would enhance it."

Xavier took a sip of his coffee, trying to formulate a response. Xander's voice popped up again asking why he was fighting so hard against this. Xavier tried to ignore it and took another sip of coffee.

"I think you like me, Xavier. And I like you too." Catherine paused and bit her lip, trying to find just the right words. "I find you very…appealing. You're thoughtful. You're humble and…peaceful. It's hard for me to share a lot of myself in the best of times. I don't know that I would ever be able to be fully open with…well with someone who wasn't a werewolf. How could they possibly understand such a significant part of who I am? And that admittedly limits my options," she gave a small half-hearted laugh.

"You shouldn't have limited options," he responded, sighing a little. Running a hand through his hair in frustration he sighed again. "Jeez, Cat, you should have _everything_. And I…yeah, I like you," he said with a little huff. "More than I have any right to."

"So why does it feel like you're pushing me away?"

Xavier didn't reply; his own head and heart in a turmoil of hope and fear and longing and what ifs.

"I spent good deal of last year thinking I was going to have to marry Hezekiah or Gareth, because they were closer to my age and Mamá kept going on about opposites attracting. But all I could think of was what if? What if I could be brave enough to suggest you? What if the man I always thought was so patient and calm didn't have to see me like that little girl he taught to skip rocks? What if the man I thought was the strongest and handsomest and best could be the one? I tried to sort of figure out how you felt or show you how I felt, but I wasn't brave enough to say anything back then. So I'm going to be brave enough now." Her eyes were stinging a little, and she blinked quickly, trying to chase away tears. "I don't want to get to know other people. I want to get to know _you._ "

"Catherine, I don't…" his voice choked up, and Xavier cleared his throat. His ears were buzzing strangely, overwhelmed by her words. "I'm sorry," he finally said. "I assumed you hadn't thought any of this through and were just…going with a safer option."

Catherine made a face at him. "I would hope that the man I fall in love with would make me feel safe. I've been hit on by a guy that didn't make me feel safe at all, and I don't recommend it."

"Do you love me?" he asked, deep furrows creasing his brow.

"In a way…" she said slowly. "But I will be completely honest and say I don't think I know you well enough to say yes unequivocally. I trust you and your motives and feelings…and, and plain common sense. But I don't know that you trust me in all those areas yet. So…" she finished with a little shrug.

Xavier laughed in sheer relief and a little self-rebuke. "Ugh, I've been such an idiot. I was doing exactly what Gareth accused me of…swinging back and forth between thinking that because you were a young woman you didn't know what you wanted, and worrying that any interest I maybe felt from you was just a…a crush."

"Well don't be too hard on yourself. I'm not terribly ambitious, and your idea about nursing school was a good one. I was so wrapped up in all the drama of right now that I hadn't been thinking too much about the future. And I do want to see more of the world, I just would prefer to maybe do that with you." A small smile was hidden by her mug of tea, and her brown eyes sparkled.

Xavier nodded, pulling his coffee mug toward him and finishing the now lukewarm drink, trying to not grin like an absolute fool.


	57. Chapter 57

Chapter 57 ~ June, 1997

"Kieran, I think…we need to talk."

The Alpha closed his eyes in resignation. He'd known the day would come, of course. The Seer had seen something. He'd felt for the past few days that the wolf side of him was on high alert, but it was a little annoying that it would happen just as their pack had begun to feel settled here. They'd been working very hard on offensive and defensive spells and maneuvers, and were more often than not able to take out their objectives with few to no casualties. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Alastor Moody had been out to observe their progress, and pronounced them ready to be included on a some Order Missions. During May's full moon they'd even all been able to resist transforming. It was a odd feeling, which Xander likened to when he'd first come to the reservation and had to stop drinking. You feel the pull, but after a while it lessens, and eventually you can take it or leave it.

"All right, Daisy. Anyone else need to be in on this?"

"Remus. It's time to meet with the other pack."

* * *

After a couple owls back and forth, Remus and Alec McIntyre, the Alpha of the British pack, agreed on a meeting. That fact alone made Remus a little uneasy. The man had been so forcefully against any talk of resisting Voldemort or preparing to fight, that it seemed odd that he would be willing to meet with him to talk about that very thing, let alone meet additional werewolves.

Alec had been insistent that their Alpha was not to come. Kieran had begrudgingly agreed, but told Remus he had better make it clear that if anything happened to any of them he would hunt their pack down and barbecue that other Alpha's ass in molasses. Remus decided a simple nod was really the only way he could respond to that statement. Artemis had explained later that was a line from a Muggle movie, but the image was still a little disturbing.

"I wonder if we should have done this sooner," Remus mentioned as they were ready to leave. "Maybe if it had happened that first month after you'd arrived it would have made more sense for me to meet up with this pack. Now it must look suspicious…"

Daisy smiled. "I would have asked sooner if they'd been ready sooner. The warriors say now is the time." She frowned a little. "Something's coming. I can't see what it is, but it's going to change the…the trajectory of things."

Remus frowned at her. "In a bad way or a good way?"

"I can't really see that right now, but… it's decisive. These months of stalemate are over."

Joshua joined them at the front door. "Are we ready?"

Nodding, Daisy said, "It's going to be perfectly safe if you don't want to come. I heard Gareth tease you about being my watchdog."

Tucking a curl back behind her ear, Joshua looked at her with an expression so tender and protective that Remus felt he almost ought to turn away. "I'm not a watchdog. I'm your Armour Bearer."

Daisy looked confused and glanced over at Joshua's wolf, who nodded solemnly at her. "Okaaay," she said slowly. "Well I won't argue with that, I guess. Let's go then," she added, turning towards Remus.

"What you just said about change coming…Don't the…" Remus hesitated over how to phrase the question. "Don't the warriors know what's going to happen? I thought Seers primarily tried to tell the future."

"They do?" Daisy looked surprised at this statement. "Grams always said Seers were just sort of like old telephone operators. That they were supposed to foster the connection between people and the Creator, but people don't always know how to listen."

"So I…I could hear what you hear on my own? If I knew how to listen?" Remus asked. Daisy smiled. He had that pondering look, when his face went all still and his eyes grew so serious.

It was Joshua who nodded his head at this question. "That's what happened to me. When I needed to hear them and I…asked, I guess…then they told me what I needed to know."

"You heard them?" Daisy asked, her eyes wide with delight. "What were you asking about?"

Joshua turned a little pink, and looked down at the ground. "I'll tell you another time. We should head out."

Daisy nodded and turned back to Remus. "I've seen glimpses of the future, or maybe I should say possible futures. So much depends on our response doesn't it? I think I see things sometimes that are how they are meant to be. Then my job would be to encourage people to chose what it would take for that future to come to pass." She grinned suddenly, looking very much like a little girl with a delicious secret. "The thing is, if you constantly choose to act on faith with love, that's really the key. But it's hard sometimes, isn't it?"

She opened the heavy front door and walked down the front steps, leaving the two men in the front hallway. Remus opened and closed his mouth a couple times, as though he felt that parting statement needed a response, but he was at a loss as to what the response should be. Joshua shook his head, a fond half-smile on his face, and followed Daisy out the door.

* * *

Apparating onto the outskirts of a village in Scotland, Daisy remarked on how the morning air was still a little crisp, even in June. Joshua began explaining how much further north they were than New York had been, but the Atlantic Drift made the climate more reasonable than places at the same latitude line in Canada or Russia. Remus didn't think he'd ever heard the young man talk so much all at once. It reminded him of that first day he'd come back to Grimmauld Place and had been able to talk with Artemis. When you find that one person that feels more safe and comfortable than anyone else, even the most reserved can find thoughts and feelings pouring out of them.

The trio made their way deep into the woods, before transforming and scenting out the werewolf encampment, about five miles from the village. They changed back and passed through the magical barrier, the quiet of the forest instantly fading away as the sounds and activity of the camp surrounded them. Joshua shifted closer to Daisy, as the people began to notice them and stop whatever they were doing to stare and whisper curiously.

"Lupin!" called a gruff, Scottish voice. The rough, bear of a man came up to them, and Remus stilled in apprehension and shock. Alec's face was marred by a vicious wound, claw marks ran down the right side of his face, his right eye appeared blind behind the raw and damaged skin.

"What happened?" Remus asked in a low voice.

"Come into the trailer. I'm ready to hear whatever you've got to say," Alec murmured, before turning and leading them over to an old Stirling caravan. Inside, Circe and Deirdre were having tea at the small table. The caravan was crowded with all of them inside, and the air was tense. Circe had smiled kindly, and gotten up to try and pass out more cups of tea while they all found places to sit.

"Remus, I'm glad you're looking so much better," Deirdre had said, smiling at him. Her left arm was bandaged and held up in a sling, and once in a while she'd move it wrongly and grimace.

"Um, this is Daisy and Joshua," Remus said after a minute. "They came from America to help fight Voldemort. Their whole pack came, actually. That's who…um, who my…my mate was staying with."

Circe made a small sound of disapproval. "So young," she murmured, frowning, looking from them to Deirdre and back again.

Deirdre shifted in her seat, clearly annoyed with Circe's comment. "Sometimes we don't have a choice," she said in a low voice. "Sometimes the fight comes to you."

"What happened?" Daisy asked gently.

"Some of the men in the pack have been spending more time listening to a rogue werewolf, called Greyback," said Alec grimly. "He's a…a wolf in sheep's clothing, if you'll forgive that bizarre analogy. Comes around and stirs up people, saying if we just had more werewolves we could overthrow the wizards and have our freedom. Trying to get them to infect people on purpose like he does. And lately he's thrown his lot in with You-Know-Who, saying they've promised to get rid of the werewolf registry and won't try to inhibit our natural tendencies. Off his head, he is."

"Two of the men challenged Alec on this last full moon," added Circe, her lips pressed together tightly. "Almost took him out, but Deirdre apparently intervened, or was the reason the fight started. Alec tossed them out on their ears the next day, but they'll probably be back to try again."

"So Alec and Circe are willing to listen to you now," added Deirdre, her smile faintly triumphant.

Remus nodded slowly. "I appreciate that," he said slowly. "We can certainly use all the help we can get, but part of what we came to talk to you about actually doesn't have anything to do with Voldemort. The Americans have discovered a…a cure for the lycanthropy…of a sort."

"A cure?" asked Alec. "More than just helping some symptoms, like Wolfsbane?"

Daisy nodded. "I think I'd better explain a little bit first. My…my mate," she began, hesitating over the word as she gestured toward Joshua. He blushed, but nodded encouragingly at her to continue. "He and I and a few others were infected here during the last war. Voldemort was trying to create a werewolf army, and it was easier to control children." Circe made an sound of dismay at the statement and Alec glowered down at the floor. "He's already trying to do the same thing this time around. After he disappeared back in '81, we were all sent to live in America so the Ministry wouldn't have to deal with us."

"So you came back to fight him," nodded Alec. "Get your own back."

"Not exactly," said Daisy, shaking her head. "We'll fight to keep what happened to us from happening to others, but the real reason I came back here was to help you."

"Help us? You mean bringing us this cure?"

Daisy nodded. "I can help you find complete and total healing if you're willing."

"What's it cost?" Circe asked, her face wary. "Sounds like something too good to be true."

"It doesn't cost anything," smiled Daisy. "I just pray for your healing."

"Pray?" snorted Alec. "Don't you think if praying worked we'd be healed already? Every one of us prays for things to be different every time the fire fills our bones and the change takes over."

"I think…I think there is a difference maybe between prayers that just…beg for things to be different, and prayers that are offered knowing you're actually talking to the Creator of the Universe and having faith that…that the prayers are being heard and are in line with what the Creator intended and desires."

"You're still just talking to the air," muttered Alec. "I thought you were part of some sort of resistance," he added, turning to Remus, "not a religious cult. I don't mind making some strategic alliances to help fight off Greyback and the Death Eaters, and to protect my people, but this is ridiculous. Unless there's something tangible to go with this…some spell or potion, I'm not interested."

"You think I haven't tried reaching out to some sort of god?" Alec continued, rounding on Daisy. "You think I haven't woken up after a full moon knowing I've hurt people I'm supposed to take care of and not asked for someone to intervene? But we've been cursed, and if this Creator allowed it to happen, allows it to happen to children, then I don't want anything to do with that."

"We're uncomfortable with paradoxes aren't we?" asked Daisy gently. "We want the Creator to intervene in everything we think is important to us, but at the same time we want to maintain our free will and for the Creator to stay out of situations we think are just our own business. Can our free will and a Creator's sovereignty exist together? The tension in that paradox, I think that's where we discover what is true about ourselves and about the Creator."

Alec made a sound of disgust and left the small trailer, banging the door behind him. "I'll try to talk to him," Remus said, leaving the trailer as well.

Daisy glanced at Joshua uncertainly. "Was that too much?" she whispered.

Joshua smiled at her. "There are still two people here listening to you," he said softly, tilting his head toward Circe and Deirdre.

"I think I understand what you were trying to say," Circe said finally. "We pray for things to be how we want them to be and then are angry when it doesn't work out. Arrogance, perhaps? If we think we know best…" her voice trailed off as she frowned. "But if you say we can be healed and we've been begging for things to be different, then wouldn't those two things line up?"

"Our free will can line up with what the Creator wants," said Daisy nodding, "and I'm not saying I have everything figured out, but there's an aspect of knowing who you're asking things of. I could pray to a monkey, and it wouldn't make a bit of difference. You're not really just talking to the air. And then there are other things fighting against you too."

"What other things?" asked Deirdre.

"Spiritual enemies…they can fly about and latch on to you…" Daisy's voice trailed off as she saw the two women look at each other skeptically.

Deirdre frowned a little. "This is a lot to process."

"It really is," muttered Circe. "Definitely the strangest conversation I've had sober."

Joshua laughed at her remark and tried to cover it with a cough. "Listen, can we show you something?" he asked. "Part of the healing means that you can transform in and out of your werewolf form without any pain and keeping control of your mind. If I show you how I do that, do you think that would be proof enough for you to at least listen some more to what Daisy has to say?"

Deirdre sat up straighter. "Go on then," she said, her face curious.

"Wait a minute," said Circe, pulling out her wand. "You change and then you change right back, understand? If you try to attack us I will use a killing curse on you without a second thought."

"Understood," said Joshua, his voice a little choked. He stood up and moved towards the small open space of floor near the door. Daisy looked frantically towards the two other women's warriors. They nodded reassuringly at her. Circe wouldn't attack without provocation. Breathing a little easier, Daisy nodded at Joshua.

He focused on letting the change slowly happen, not the swift transformations they'd been practicing in training. He kept his eyes locked on Circe's as his form lengthened and dropped, thick dark fur covering as clothing seemed to just fade away. "Wicked," Deirdre whispered, a slow grin spreading across her face. Joshua's ears pricked toward her voice, and he huffed a small sound of amusement.

Circe swallowed hard and kept her hand gripped around her wand. "Change back," she said, her voice trembling a little. Joshua changed back, a little faster this time and took his seat beside Daisy.

"If we…if we can control the transformations, then we don't have to live like this anymore? Is that what you're saying?" Circe asked, her voice hard with some unspoken emotion.

"Yes," replied Daisy softly. "We've found it more…comfortable to stay with our pack, but you would be free to live however you choose. You would be safe for other people."

"I…I need to talk to Alec," Circe stammered out, quickly leaving the caravan.

Deirdre smiled broadly at Daisy and Joshua. "She worries so much about Alec, because he's the Alpha. She hates it when he gets hurt, even though he's never really had a serious challenge until this last time. Now, tell me more about these enemies you mentioned…"

* * *

On the fringe of the encampment, Remus had just finished demonstrating the same change to Alec. The man was impressed, but still dubious.

"Are you expecting us to fight with you if you change us?" Alec asked gruffly. "As payment?"

"No, no one's going to force you fight," said Remus. "We're giving you an opportunity to have the…the strength without the constraints. I know you don't want to be a monster any more than I do."

Alec nodded. "How do you reconcile that…that paradox the girl talked about? I understand free will. I want to be in control of my own destiny. That's why I challenged the previous Alpha. But how do you understand a…a god who can change things, and doesn't?"

Remus blew out a long breath. How was he going to try and justify something he wasn't sure he fully understood himself?

 _Humans are not the only creations gifted with free will. We are obedient to act on behalf of the chosen ones, but our brothers have fallen into darkness. The free will of another can come into conflict with our own._

Remus froze at the voice in his head. If the voice hadn't come first and led him to half expect what came next, he would have fallen over at seeing his wolf, standing just behind Alec. "There are battles," he began slowly. "Battles that happen in the other realm, and they affect things here."

Just then, like a movie beginning to play out around him, Remus could see other wolves appear, each near their person living in the camp. And more disconcerting were the dark creatures now apparent. Some were nothing more than blotches in the sky, some looked like huge bats or birds flapping around, some were large insects perched on shoulders. Remus cleared his throat uneasily. _No wonder Daisy sometimes has trouble focusing._ "The enemies that Daisy mentioned. They…they interfere in what the Creator is doing, um, whisper lies that encourage us to choose darkness. But there are warriors on our side, like great wolves. They fight against the enemies…at least as far as you let them. That was part of why I was so sick when I was here before," he added in a low voice. There was an enemy talking to me a lot of the time, trying to convince me to end my life, that I wasn't worth anything and everyone I loved with be better off without me."

Alec looked at him askance. "I'm glad you're doing better, I really am, but…do you hear yourself, Lupin? Now you're trying to tell me some evil beings are interfering with what's supposed to be some all-powerful god and that it affects my free will?"

Remus sighed. "I know that it's hard to believe. All I can do is share my own experience. Daisy prayed for me and it felt like the disease was literally burned out. I thought I was actually on fire for a moment. And now the transformations are under my control. I'm not a slave to the full moons anymore. And that darkness that seemed to take over with each change, that need for blood and power, it's gone."

Alec scowled, and then winced as the motion pulled at his wounds. "I wouldn't mind that kind of control, but I don't think I want to be beholden to your god."

Remus nodded. "It's a lot to consider. Regardless of what you choose, we can help you. We can train your magic users to fight. And if anyone does want to accept what Daisy's offering we can train them to fight in their werewolf form. But…" he paused, looking once more over the supernatural scene playing out before him, some wolves now engaged with the enemies, pulling them away from people and chasing them off, "I for one would rather be a servant of righteousness than a slave to darkness."

* * *

They spent the rest of the day making their way around to every individual werewolf in the camp, met each time with a mixture of hope and incredulity. It was really Deirdre who turned the tide in their favor. After hearing more of Daisy and Joshua's story, she immediately asked to be healed, and then led them through the camp, eagerly telling the others of her experience and demonstrating how she could now transform whenever she liked.

A few of the other werewolves were ready to be prayed over also, and the rest were tentatively willing to listen to more about what Daisy was saying. She promised to come back and meet with them again the next day, and bring some of the rest of her family to share their stories. Alec agreed to let more of them come and to work out a plan to train his people, even grudgingly saying he would meet with with their Alpha.

Remus, Joshua, and Daisy left the encampment at dusk, deciding to walk slowly through the woods for a bit before disapparating back to Grimmauld Place, to give themselves a few minutes to process the events of the day. "I saw them," Remus announced quietly as they walked. "When I was trying to explain things a little more fully to Alec, they appeared."

"You saw his wolf as well?" asked Daisy.

"I saw…everything," answered Remus. "All the wolves, the enemies…There's so much coming against us all the time."

"Will they join us?" Joshua asked Daisy. "Can this pack help turn the tide in our favor?"

"In a sense the tide turned long ago," she said, her eyes flickering with an old, sort of far-away look. "Broken shards will be shattered, and in the quest for life there is only death in an alliance with death." Daisy broke off and gave herself a little shake. "See?" she said turning to Remus. "I can see how things are and things that have not yet been completed. But…we're in the in-between time." She smiled and patted him on the arm. "There are more with us than there are against us."

Remus just looked at her, feeling suddenly very old and weary. No matter how many might be with them, these kids were just about to enter a more dangerous phase of their life here. Who would be the ones to give up their lives in this war? How many more friends would he have to lose?

 _Do not lose hope._

 _It's difficult to hang on to hope in the face of death._ Remus thought back, a little sarcastically.

 _You need not fear death in the hands of the One who holds your life. The last enemy that will be defeated is death._


	58. Chapter 58

On May 21, a family member found himself in the same place Remus had been in Chapter 31. In spite of people trying to reach out and help him to get help, he still felt broken and alone, and chose to listen to the whispered lies of the enemy. I am heartbroken over his pain and over the pain he has left behind. No matter how a person thinks they are making it easier on the ones they leave behind, the repercussions are like shrapnel — creating unexpected wounds that you may not even notice right away. And I have walked down dark paths. I have heard the lies, the whispers that become so loud you can't focus on anything else. But even if it's harder to hear, there is another voice there too — a voice that says, "Come on, get up. We can do this. I'm right here with you. Don't give up." If you are having a hard time hearing the voice of the one who loves you through the noise of darkness, please tell someone. I promise you, you matter. Your life and your impact on others and your destiny matter. Love and hugs, MS

Chapter 58 ~ June, 1997

Remus watched Ana roll once again from her back onto her tummy and try to push herself up. Reaching for a small plush wolf, she eagerly brought the toy to her mouth with a light squeal. Tufts of black hair were held back with a little bow that Remus personally thought looked ridiculous on a baby, but the women had gushed over it, so he kept his opinions to himself.

He was trying not to let his thoughts turn all maudlin, but he was glad he'd at least written her letters. Beginning with the night after she was born he'd written a letter every couple weeks. At least Ana would know more of him than Harry had known of his parents if the worst should happen. Maybe he had time to write her one more letter before they left?…No, he didn't. Shaking off the thought, Remus grabbed up the small satchel he'd packed as Artemis came in the room.

Stepping around the baby, she came right up to him and took the bag from his hands, setting it on the bed, and wrapped her arms around him. Remus breathed in the comforting scent as he held her. "I can still come if you'd like?" she said quietly.

"No," he said reluctantly. "I'd like nothing better. You're a fierce one to have in our corner if there's a fight. But we'll stick with what we agreed on, only one of us out on missions at a time. It's better she have one parent than none."

Artemis made a murmur of agreement and tilted her head up to kiss him. His kiss was desperate and demanding, and took her breath away.

"What was that for?" she asked, blinking up at him.

"I love you. I let you leave once without telling you. I'm never doing that again. I love you. And if a moment like this is our last moment together…"

Artemis cupped his face in her hands. "You're coming back," she said firmly.

Remus nodded, closing his eyes and pressing his forehead to hers. "I promised that as far as it would depend on me, I would always come back to you. But you need to know…" his voice choked up. "Those kids," he finally said roughly. "If it comes down to me or them, I'm making sure they come home first."

"You said it was just a couple men that challenged the Alpha. With most of you there to support him this time, I'm sure they'll back down without a fight at all."

"I've just been thinking about what Daisy said… that something's shifted. It's made me rather jittery I think." Remus pulled Artemis close again, resting his chin on the top of her head. "I'm sure you're right — it will be fine. Alec took care of them last time. They won't want to engage all of us."

Artemis fumbled in his cloak pocket for a moment and pulled out the carved wooden lioness, holding it in her hands like an offering. "You all come home together, you hear?"

Remus covered her hands with his own, and kissed her quickly again, taking back the figurine. "Then I'll expect some chocolate muffins when I return," he said, trying to smile.

* * *

Pushing past a curtain of beads and almost tripping over some fringed cushions, Xander laughed out loud as he looked over the small tent. Hezekiah peeked in next and shook his head in amusement. "Is it more Gypsy caravan or Arabian Sheik going on in here?"

Xander examined one of the purple and turquoise pillows. "I'm having flashbacks to _I Dream of Jeannie_ episodes. Isabel, how did you manage all this?"

"Artemis helped me. It's our first all-out wizard camping adventure, and I wanted to do it right."

"Is this really how y'all camp?" Xander asked, turning to Hezekiah.

"Don't ask me, man. I've never done it. Some friends wanted to camp when we went to the Quadpot finals back in 1990, but I convinced 'em to stay in a hotel."

Xander looked at him, then back around at the tent, muttering something about, "…just when I think I've gotten used to wizards…"

Deirdre, who was sitting cross-legged on a huge floor cushion, watching Isabel add all her finishing touches, giggled. "I think this might be a little over the top, even for wizards," she clarified.

Isabel shrugged and reached up to adjust one of the beaded chandeliers. "So it's over the top, so what? It's fun."

"Hey, what is that?" asked Xander, grabbing Isabel's wrist. Deirdre hissed in a breath, shying back suddenly. Xander shot her a confused glance as he pulled up the sleeve of Isabel's shirt that had shifted when she adjusted the light.

Isabel looked torn between pride, excitement and nervousness as she held out her arm. There on the underside of her forearm, near her wrist was a freshly inked dagger. It was delicate looking, no more than seven or eight centimeters long, with music notes trailing around it like a ribbon.

Xander let out a low whistle. "Not bad, kid. Your mama know you have that?"

Isabel made a face as she pulled her arm back. "Not yet. I was going to show her today. I figured she couldn't make as much of a fuss since we're guests here. But now that she and Papá and Gareth had to go to that embassy thing, I don't have to deal with that yet." Her expression brightened suddenly. "Actually, that means they'll probably notice Gareth's first, and they can get all their fussing over with on him."

"You and Gareth both got tattoos?"

Isabel nodded happily. "We all did. The daggers all match, and then each one has a little something special, like my music notes."

Hezekiah laughed. "All of you? You managed to convince Cat to get a tattoo?"

Isabel grinned smugly. "Sure did."

"You're something else, firecracker," Hezekiah said, still laughing as he and Xander left the girls' tent.

Isabel plopped down on to the floor beside Deirdre. "Those guys are safe," she said without preamble.

Deirdre couldn't quite meet her eyes. "You mean they won't tell your mum about the tattoo?"

"Nope. I mean they won't hurt me, or you, like the other men did last month."

Deirdre swallowed, and nodded. "I didn't mean to react that way," she whispered, "but when he grabbed you, I just…"

"I understand," said Isabel softly.

Deirdre drew her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees. "My mum and I…we didn't have great experiences with men. I try to avoid them mostly. Alec was the first one that was really nice, and didn't try…anything, and kept the others away from me. I think…I think Remus was probably the first man I'd ever approached to even have a conversation. But…well, he's not exactly very threatening is he? Rather a bookish type."

"You've never had to duel him," Isabel said darkly. "Be glad he's on our side. He takes no prisoners."

Deirdre looked at her skeptically for a moment before the two girls dissolved into giggles.

* * *

Joshua's heart was racing, and he felt far warmer than even the late June sunshine should account. They'd walked about a quarter mile from the werewolf encampment, not with any particular destination in mind, simply wandering, hand in hand. And then all of a sudden it seemed like the perfect moment, there among the trees, the smell of earth and sunshine around them, the warmth of the day heightening the flowery scent of her perfume. So he'd stopped and gazed at her, trying to imprint the moment onto his memory.

Daisy looked up at him expectantly, her lips curved in a soft smile. "We're alone," she said softly, and then laughed a little self-consciously. "Well apart from our wolves, I mean," she corrected herself, looking over at the large beings. "Oh!" she said in a surprised voice. "Yours just…winked. And they both turned away…why…oh…" Her voice trailed off and she looked up at Joshua again a little sheepishly. "They turned away because they know I want you to kiss me."

Joshua scratched awkwardly at the stubble across his jawline. "I didn't think there'd exactly be an opportunity out here…I probably should have shaved."

Daisy giggled. "I don't mind. You look…um…rugged?"

A pink blush bloomed across his cheeks, as he looked down at the ground. "I guess that's kind of a silly thing to worry about. I just…well, it's our first kiss." Shoving his hands into his pockets, he kicked at the ground. "And more than that it's your first kiss ever, and my first kiss ever, but I also want it to be your only first kiss. Because I don't ever want you kissing anyone but me. And so that also makes it our last first kiss…and that probably all sounded really strange…"

Biting her lip, Daisy moved a half step closer to him. "It's not strange. I think it's romantic that you thought through all that. But I'll tell you a secret. I don't remember the first chocolate bar I ever had. But every time I have a chocolate bar I think it's the most wonderful thing I could possibly be eating in that moment. And I don't remember a time that you weren't part of my life. But every moment I'm with you feels like the most wonderful thing I could possibly be doing in that moment."

Joshua shifted closer to her. He was starting to feel lightheaded, not quite able to decide if his heart felt more like it was being squeezed by a giant or trampled by a racehorse. "I, uh…I really don't want to mess this up," he breathed. He raised a hand to run his thumb gently down her jawline, his other hand hovered nervously for a moment before resting tentatively at her waist.

"Me neither…And you won't," she whispered. She set her hands lightly on his hips, and raised herself up on tiptoe.

And just as he'd finally decided to close the minute distance between them, the snap of a twig and the faint murmur of voices travelled through the trees. Joshua froze. The last thing he wanted was someone else happening upon them right at this moment. He took a step back, the frustration clear in his eyes, when he noticed Daisy was staring past him, worry and anger etched across her face. Joshua slowly turned to see a group of cloaked figures approaching the barrier enclosing the camp. Even knowing the Death Eaters could neither see nor hear them on the outside, Daisy met his eyes and held a finger up to her lips, urging him to keep silent. Joshua gave a quick nod and grabbed her hand again, backing away behind a large tree.

"What should we do?" he said, so softly it was almost as if he'd simply mouthed the words.

"They can't get in, right?" she asked just as quietly.

Joshua's mind was whirling. "They must think they can," he answered. "Or why bother to come?" Peeking around the tree, he saw the cloaked figures had drawn their wands and were sending a barrage of spells at the barrier, colored light splattering against the invisible wall.

"They probably have quite the horde of enemies with them, don't they?" he asked, looking back at Daisy. She nodded wordlessly. "Well, unless Mr. McIntyre's exceptionally good with shields and concealment charms, I think we've only got a couple minutes. We have to warn the others."

* * *

"Seems a bit hard that none of the rest of you got to go to the embassy dinner," Jane remarked, as she added some herbs to the cauldron over the fire pit.

Catherine laughed as she continued slicing a loaf of bread. "I don't think the rest of us feel that way. Joshua and I would be forced to mingle, and Isabel and Daisy trying to mix with No-Maj politicians seems like a recipe for disaster."

"I think most politicians probably need a little of what Daisy brings to the table," remarked Hawthorne wryly, from where he sat, lazily twirling his wand as a pile of beans snapped themselves. "She can hold a mirror up to their black hearts."

"Cynic," Jane smiled.

"Realist," he countered.

"You lot aren't normal werewolves, that's a fact," said Circe, joining them at the fire. "But it's nice to see how well you all get on. Maybe we can be more like that now that we're not scrabbling for position and out of our heads each month."

"And how has your training been going?" Hawthorne asked, getting up and offering her his seat.

"Good, I think. All those Defense classes are starting to come back a bit. Although sometimes it seems it would be easier to just transform and try to bite somebody. Your Mr. Lupin didn't act like he thought too highly of that plan, though."

"Ah, well, Remus I think prefers to use the wolf as a last resort," Hawthorne acknowledged.

Circe smiled. "His mate doesn't seem to agree. She's the black haired one that comes around on opposite days as him, right? She said look for any advantage and take it."

Jane laughed and had started to respond when a tremor and series of loud cracks tore through the camp. Jumping out of the way of the large cauldron of stew that had tipped and sloshed out its boiling contents, Hawthorne gripped his wand and looked wildly around, trying to find the source of the commotion.

"Impossible," Circe whispered, her face white with terror, as she looked across the clearing to the edge of the woods. A row of hooded figures in black moved out of the tree line not even bothering to raise their wands, their presence alone enough to cause a panic among the camp's residents.

"I thought you couldn't get into the camp if you weren't a werewolf," Catherine said, her voice shaking.

"That must have been the tremor. They broke the barrier down somehow," Hawthorne responded absently, his eyes sweeping back and forth across the row of Death Eaters.

Isabel and Deirdre ran up to the others. "What's happening?" Isabel asked breathlessly.

"They're going to try and wipe us out before the moon rises," Circe said grimly.

A flash of red streaked past, narrowly missing the girls and slamming into a nearby tree. "Right, no more practice then," Jane said as she grabbed Deirdre and pulled her behind the tipped over cauldron. Hawthorne and Circe had already drawn their wands and were throwing spells back across the clearing. "Cat! Take Deirdre and get back where they can't see you! Try and find Kieran. We have to wait until the last possible moment to change!"

Catherine nodded and Deirdre grabbed her hand, quickly disappearing among the maze of tents. They saw Hezekiah, Remus, and Alec running in the opposite direction, toward the Death Eaters. People were screaming, and the smell of woodsmoke was quickly mixing with the scent of burning fabric from the tents. A few pops began to sound throughout the camp as those who couldn't face the prospect of a fight disapparated. Ducking under a clothesline and rounding a corner, the girls crashed into Kieran.

"You both ok?" he asked, steadying them.

"Death Eaters…attacking the camp…" Catherine panted.

Kieran nodded. "We know."

Catherine nodded. "Where are…" but she didn't even get to finish the question before she saw Xavier and his brother running towards them. She let out a relieved breath, barely stopping from flinging herself into his arms.

Xavier's eyes looked equally relieved when he saw her. "Joshua said he counted eight. We checked the rest of the perimeter," he said to Kieran. "They aren't surrounding the camp, just attacking from the southern boundary line.

Kieran nodded. "Good. Remus is going to pull the others back and try to draw the Death Eaters in among the tents…let them think they're winning. Then we'll go in."

* * *

"Don't kill them!" a voice snapped. "We can use them!"

Greyback. It probably shouldn't have caught Daisy off guard, but it did — the cloaked man closest to her throwing back his hood. It was clearly for dramatic effect, to shock people with his long grizzled hair, sharpened teeth, and vicious expression. But Daisy was more shocked that there was no warrior accompanying him, and then found herself strangely grieved. This man had chosen a path of darkness, and the light would walk with him no longer.

He seemed to sense her focus, and gave her a terrifying attempt at a paternal smile. "I remember you," he called, his voice as rough as his appearance. "I remember your scent. You're one of mine, from the last war."

She nodded, and could suddenly see it happening in her memory, as if she were a witness and not a participant. She saw the little girl, her brown curls held back in two plaits, hands clasped behind her back like she'd been taught. They had lied to her, she realized suddenly. She'd thought they were there for some sort of fancy tea or party. She remembered she had been excited to be able to go with Mummy and Daddy, all dressed up. They had introduced her to this man, this cursed, twisted person before her, and she had curtsied. And then she had turned around and Mummy and Daddy were gone. Faint laughter echoed back at her from behind a closed door, and she began to feel a little afraid. For the first time she noticed there were other children there too, looking around at each other apprehensively. A dark haired boy smiled at her, and she had started to walk over to him. Then there had been a blinding flash, and darkness, and when she next woke up her whole world had changed.

Daisy shook her head, the memory had returned so quickly and sharply she felt a little dizzy. "Isn't this poetic?" Greyback called to her again. "Like a prodigal's return? In the new world the Dark Lord is building there will be a place for all of us. Would you join me? Let them see a reign of dark creatures that are truly beautiful."

His eyes roved over Isabel and Catherine beside her, and Daisy felt a tremendous wave of fierce protectiveness and fury crash over her. Like the moment Grams had prayed for her to see, a snarling cry rose up in her throat. And then Joshua was there, taking her hand. Daisy looked at him and again to Greyback. Yes, her whole world had changed the day she met him, but what beauty had sprung from that scorched earth?

"We were yours," she said, her voice clear and firm. "But what you intended for evil, someone else intended for good. And you will never understand the true power and beauty that comes when a dark creature surrenders to the light."

It was clear from his expression, that he wasn't entirely sure what she was talking about, but it did at least distract him from Hezekiah, who shot a Knockback Jinx, throwing the man into the air, and giving the rest of them an opening to run.

* * *

Isabel grudgingly had to admit the endurance training had helped, as she raced around one of the tents, leaping over a couple chairs that had been knocked over. Another flash flew past her head and she growled in frustration. How had she not lost the guy yet? It had to be that taller, skinny one. Longer legs.

"Down!" a voice called, and she dropped instantly, just missing the spell that flew by in the opposite direction. She heard a grunt and a thud behind her, and then Remus was there offering her a hand up.

"Nicely done, Isabel," he said.

She gave him a rueful smile. "You got him, not me."

"But your reaction time has greatly improved. Now…I think we have them right where we want them." Isabel wished Deirdre could have seen Remus in that moment. She would have understood her earlier comment. For all his casual phrasing, Isabel could see the man was utterly furious, and there was a dark coldness to his words. She felt a tiny brush of sympathy for whoever else might face off against him today.

Remus raised his wand and sent off a shower of sparks, nodding to Isabel to change forms. Down on all fours, Isabel took a deep breath, trying to orient herself by the scents. The acrid burning smell was sharper now, and she was annoyed to find it masked some of what she was searching for. Turning around, she tried again, and could scent Joshua, Daisy and Hezekiah somewhere off to her right, and there to her left the unknown scents of some of the dark wizards. _Fee Fi Fo Fum. I smell the blood of an Englishman._ A bizarre desire to laugh came over her.

* * *

The sudden loss of opponents unnerved the overconfident Death Eaters, who were now more slowly moving forward. Unbeknownst to them, they were making their way to the center of the camp — the main fire pit, from where the tents spread out like flower petals, and where numerous werewolves were waiting.

As the first few dark wizards stepped into the open clearing among the cluster of tents, the werewolves slunk back into the shadows. Alec and Remus, still not transformed, stepped forward. "What business do you have here with my people?" Alec called in his gruff brogue.

"Our people," corrected Greyback, his lips curved in a predatory smile. "I only want what is best for our people. Surely you don't want them to always live here, scrabbling an existence on the fringes of society. I'm offering them power, position."

"A position as a slave to Voldemort," remarked Remus, conversationally. "Let's just clarify that, shall we? A literal dogs-body, at his beck and call. What's your primary task, after all? Intimidation? Creating new slave labor? Pretty poor position if you ask me." A sardonic smile crossed his face, and he held his wand loosely in one hand, the other shoved in his pocket, looking for all the world like he was having a casual chat. The attitude was clearly grating on the other man, as his fist clenched around his wand.

"I'm surprised to see you here, Lupin," he all but growled. "Ministry makes it a bit hard to hold down a job, don't they? Did you finally have to give up pretending you're better than the rest of us? Needed the security of the pack after all?"

"True on the first and last count. It is quite difficult to find a job. And I discovered the pack has a great deal to offer. But I certainly never thought I was better than them…just better than you."

"Enough blathering," Alec interrupted wearily. "Do you two ever tire of hearing your own voices? We aren't joining you," he announced, waving his hand dismissively towards the row of Death Eaters. "My position here is good enough for me. And as it turns out, there's power aplenty." A rare smile pulled at his scarred skin. "Would you like to meet our packs?"

Kieran, Xander and Xavier stepped out first, and Xander smiled, baring his canines wickedly as he saw the wands tremble in the dark wizards' hands. One of them reflexively shot a spell towards them, but Remus deflected it with hardly a movement.

Greyback looked frantically up to the sky, where the sun was still high, moonrise hours away. More transformed werewolves were circling around, several growling softly. The air was saturated with the fear pouring off the cloaked figures, the smell even overpowering the smoke of still-burning fires. "This…it's not…possible," he hissed, holding his wand defensively in front of him.

"You might be surprised at what's possible," Daisy called, stepping out from behind a tent. Two werewolves flanked her, one a massive black, and one a smaller dark red. "It is not too late for you to turn from your life of darkness." Remus turned and looked at her in slight surprise. Her voice sounded very different, like it had taken on the depth and timbre of the wolves he had once heard in his head. "Turn, and be healed, or you will be utterly put to shame. If we are your people, then do not make us your enemy."

"It can't be real!" one of the other figures called. "It's some sort of charm — making us see things!" A chorus of warning growls caused the other wizards to grip their wands more tightly.

Xander bared his teeth again, and looked a little pleadingly at Remus. After all this fuss he was spoiling for a real fight, not this skulking about. Remus shook his head, and Xander huffed in frustration. Kieran turned and caught Xander's eye, and winked. In slow, imperceptible increments, the two moved into a crouch, while the wizards argued above them.

"Enough!" Greyback finally roared. "You will —" He was cut off as Kieran gave a sudden powerful leap and flew over his head, Xander doing the same to the wizard beside him. They turned around sharply and repeated the move back over two different wizards, knocking them off balance. Remus and a reddish gold werewolf wore matching exasperated expressions.

As Kieran landed and turned to face the Death Eaters again, he swiftly transformed back, eliciting gasps from the cloaked figures. "You. Should. Run." His voice was deep and authoritative, and it didn't take more than a couple heartbeats for them to obey. Greyback was the last to leave, his face angry and vengeful.

* * *

The English pack still could not resist the pull of the moon, transforming that night as the glowing ball appeared in the sky. But calm and in their right minds, Remus directed them to set up a perimeter watch around the now fractured wards that encircled the camp.

The Americans set to work trying to salvage what they could from the burned out tents. The people had precious few possessions to begin with, and most would now be starting over with nothing. Jane, Hawthorne, Remus, and Hezekiah were stationed around the fire pit, using repairing and cleaning spells on what they could as the rest played courier, moving back and forth between tents with what they could save.

By dawn the group was packed up and ready to move on to a new location. "I think we'll try Northumberland this time," said Alec, as he shook Remus' hand. "Get away from Scotland for a bit, see if that shakes them. We can move each month if we have to."

"Circe's almost mastered that Patronus charm," replied Remus. "Send a message if you need us."

"You do the same," Alec nodded. "I guess we're in this fight now whether we want to be or not."


	59. Chapter 59

Chapter 59 ~ June, 1997

The ear splitting shriek was probably heard three houses down. Bill Weasley flinched as a body flung itself at him, squeezing him around the middle before turning itself on a hapless Fleur.

"YES! YES! YES! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Isabel's voice rang out at least two octaves higher than normal. "I promise it will be great! We know wizard music and No-Maj stuff, and I can even make Celestina Warbeck sound good!"

"Zat in eetself would be miraculous," said Fleur, looking a little rumpled from the enthusiastic hug. "Bill's bruzzers have assured us zat you are accomplished musicians."

"We are," said Isabel, nodding assuredly, as she tried to look professional. "And the music at your wedding will be just perfect, I promise."

Isabel raced off to start digging through sheet music, as Fleur turned to an amused looking Ellie, who had appeared on the stairs after hearing the shrill scream. "Eet will be a glorious wedding. She is naturally excited. But, perhaps you would look at my ear drum? I think she may have pierced it with her cry," Fleur said as Bill and Ellie laughed.

"It was kind of you to invite all of us to come," said Ellie.

"The more the merrier," shrugged Bill. "Besides, Gareth really saved my neck on our mission last week. This was the least I could do."

"Ellie, I 'oped that I could stay here this evening while Bill is with Kingsley? Molly and I are not quite friendly today."

"Of course," smiled Ellie. "Mother-in-laws are always a tricky business."

The front door swung suddenly open, banging back against wall, to reveal a distraught looking Kingsley and Tonks. "The Dark Mark has been set over Hogwarts," Kingsley announced in his rich voice. "We must go at once."

Ellie stared at him in horror. "Most of them aren't here. Artemis took them to train. Isabel only stayed back to practice defensive spells with Remus and Sirius."

"Get them," said Kingsley authoritatively. "I will take Remus, Sirius and Bill with me now. Fleur, you will go fetch Molly and Arthur. Isabel can get word to Fred and George." With that pronouncement he abruptly turned in a swirl of blue and purple robes, disapparating from the front steps, Tonks on his heels. Ellie was already racing up the stairs as Fleur muttered something derisive in French about not being a messenger owl, before disappearing into the night, Bill right behind her.

Remus and Sirius tore down the stairs a moment later, and Isabel paused on the landing to turn wide eyes on Ellie. "You can do this," Ellie said encouragingly, bouncing Ana lightly in her arms as Finn hung on to her leg. "Just focus on their shop. George will make sure you get to the school all right." Isabel nodded and took a deep breath, leaving the house with a determined step. Ellie saw her take a firm grip on her wand and squeeze her eyes shut in concentration, before disappearing with the characteristic pop.

* * *

Remus and Sirius caught up to Kingsley, Bill, and Tonks as they raced through the gates of the school. Professor McGonagall met them at the front door. "Mr. Lupin, you, Miss Tonks, and Mr. Weasley can start with me on the upper floors. Mr. Shacklebolt, you and Mr. Black can work your way to the dungeons. I've sent Filius to fetch Professor Snape. You'll probably meet them down there."

Kingsley gave her a swift nod and descended the nearest staircase with Sirius, while the others moved upwards. After searching fruitlessly for a few minutes, the faint sounds of yells and crashing filtered down to them, and Kingsley and Sirius instantly turned to head back up, wands drawn.

As they came up a flight of stairs and rounded the next corner, Sirius crashed into a witch running in the opposite direction, red hair flying behind her.

"Lina?" Sirius whispered in shock, as he steadied her.

"Sirius?! What's going on?"

"Dumbledore sent a message that there were Death Eaters…the Dark Mark. We're spread out through the castle, but I have't found anyone yet."

"I heard shouting, and…Sirius, I think Bill Weasley's dead. He was in a corridor with blood all over the place…"

Hermione and Luna suddenly appeared behind them, coming up from the dungeons and levitating an unconscious Professor Flitwick between them.

"What happened?" asked Kingsley, quickly adding his own levitation spell to help the trembling girls.

Hermione took a shuddering breath, blinking back tears. "Harry asked us to keep an eye on Professor Snape, so Luna and I were waiting down there. Then Professor Flitwick came down, shouting that Death Eaters were in the castle. Snape flew out of his office a moment later and told us Professor Flitwick had collapsed, but..I think Snape did it to him."

Lina looked around wildly. "I have to get to him," she muttered.

All of a sudden the sound of an explosion rumbled through the castle, followed by yelling from one of the upper floors. "Take him to the hospital wing," Kingsley ordered the girls, making sure they had the small teacher properly elevated before following Sirius and Lina to the Entrance Hall.

"I'll head up, you two check that out," Kingsley called, as he charged up the stairs. Sirius and Lina took off out the door and across the grounds towards the bonfire that was Hagrid's burning hut, trying to make out the yelling voices ahead of them.

"Run, Draco!" they heard Snape shout, as he turned to face another figure. It was Harry, glowing strangely in the firelight. The two raised their wands simultaneously as Sirius and Lina came upon the scene. Harry began screaming curses and spells at Snape, who deflected them with lazy flicks of his arm.

Suddenly Harry cried out as a _Cruciatus_ curse, sent from one of the other figures, hit him. "No!" screamed Sirius, flinging a spell towards the other Death Eaters and running to Harry.

"Enough!" roared Snape. "Potter belongs to the Dark Lord! It's over; Dumbledore is dead!"

"What?!" gasped Sirius as helped Harry to his feet. "How could you?!" he shouted. "He trusted you!"

"You COWARD!" Harry panted, scrambling for his wand. You— " Out of nowhere a huge shape descended from the sky, and the pair was flung backwards by an enormous pair of wings. Buckbeak had flown between them and Snape, screeching and slashing his claws at the Death Eaters. Sirius struggled as quickly as he could back to his feet looking around frantically for his wand. He was vaguely aware of Lina approaching the rampaging hippogriff and bowing low before him.

Running towards her, he saw her turn suddenly away from Snape towards Harry. " _Expelliarmus!"_ she yelled, catching Harry's wand neatly and flinging it away from her.

"Lina, what are you doing?" Sirius hissed at her, sliding to a stop, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"I chose my side long ago," Lina said coldly. Sirius vaguely heard one of the Death Eaters let out a hoarse laugh. His brain felt numb trying to make sense of what he was seeing. She stood between him and Snape, her wand pointed at his chest.

"No," he breathed out. "Please…I…"

"You what?" she sneered. "You thought you loved me? Really, Black, you're almost too innocent for this world." Her voice faltered a little on the last sentence, the hardened expression dropping for a split second. "Don't look for heroes where there're only villains," she whispered before the mask was back in place.

Sirius, shocked speechless and frozen, could only watch as Snape ran off after Draco and the others. Lina turned to follow, pausing to stroke Buckbeak's neck and whisper something to him. She then sprinted after the Death Eaters without a backwards glance, catching up as they reached the gates. Sirius could faintly hear Harry yelling at him over the roar of the fire that consumed Hagrid's hut and the roar of his own heartbeat. He felt Harry grab his wand out of his hand and run after Lina, only to be knocked backwards by Buckbeak butting him gently in the chest. Harry was screaming and crying, beating ineffectively at the hippogriff with his fists. _Lina must have told Buckbeak to keep us here. But…why…what is she doing?_

* * *

Just past the boundary of the school, with the pops of the other Death Eaters surrounding them as they disapparated, Severus grabbed Lina's arm. His other hand gripped Draco's wrist firmly and Lina assumed he was preparing to disapparate them as well, but then his voice rang suddenly in her head.

 _You can take Draco and leave. Rejoin the Order._

Lina froze, and her own voice almost yelled back at him. _I can't!_

Without their customary mental barriers in place, the words flowed back and forth almost too fast to catch.

 _Get out of this now…_

 _He would kill you!_

 _you have the chance to escape…_

 _Draco won't abandon his family._

 _didn't have a choice. You grabbed him. I will act as shocked as anyone._

 _The Dark Lord would no longer trust you, and you already said losing Draco would kill his mother.._

 _I don't want your blood on my hands!_

 _You are only part of my assignment._

 _Wha—what?_

 _Don't you dare leave me here!_

Draco was now looking at Professor Snape oddly, wondering why they hadn't left yet. Making a frustrated sound, Snape cast a furious glare at Lina, and disapparated them. The loud, final crack echoed in the night.

* * *

Harry only vaguely felt the lingering aches and pains of the _Cruciatus_ curse as Ginny led him and Sirius up to the hospital wing. Sirius had been absolutely silent since Lina had left with the Death Eaters, barely acknowledging the locket and parchment Harry had shoved at him angrily after they had come upon Dumbledore's body.

"Ginny, who else is dead?" Harry asked suddenly. "Malfoy said he stepped over a body."

"He stepped over Bill, but it's all right, he's alive…he…Greyback attacked him. He's a bit of a mess. Neville and Professor Flitwick were hurt, and one of the Death Eaters was hit with a killing curse."

Harry nodded. Pushing open the doors of the hospital wing, Harry saw his friends with Fred and George Weasley gathered around a bed. Lupin, Tonks, and Isabel stood nearby. Hermione ran to Harry as they entered, and hugged him. Lupin moved forward too, looking anxiously from Harry to Sirius.

"Are you two all right?"

"I'm fine…He's fine," answered Harry a little sharply. "How's Bill?"

Nobody answered. Harry looked over Hermione's shoulder and saw an unrecognizable face lying on Bill's pillow, so badly slashed and ripped that he looked grotesque. Madam Pomfrey was dabbing at his wounds with some harsh-smelling green ointment.

"It's not a full moon," said Ron, who was gazing down into his brother's face as though he could somehow force him to mend just by staring. "Greyback wasn't transformed, so surely Bill won't be a — a real —?" He looked uncertainly at Lupin.

"He will be fine," said Lupin, offering him an encouraging smile. "Artemis hasn't suffered any ill-effects from the wounds her brother caused."

"Besides, it's not too terrible being a werewolf nowadays," remarked George, glancing towards Isabel.

"Dumbledore might know something that'd work better on those wounds, though," Ron said. "Where is he? Bill fought those maniacs on Dumbledore's orders, Dumbledore owes him, he can't leave him in this state -"

"Ron — Dumbledore's dead," said Ginny.

"No!" The harsh gasp was from Remus. He looked wildly to Sirius, who was standing a little apart from the the rest, staring off towards the window. "How did that…what happened?" Lupin collapsed into a chair beside Bill's bed.

"Snape killed him," said Harry. "I was there, I saw it. We were on the Astronomy Tower. Dumbledore must've realized it was a trap when we heard footsteps running up the stairs. He immobilized me, I couldn't do anything, I was under the Invisibility Cloak — and then Malfoy came through the door and disarmed him —"

Hermione clapped her hands to her mouth and Ron groaned. Luna's mouth trembled, and Fred muttered something he never would have dared say under normal circumstances.

"— more Death Eaters arrived — and then Snape — and Snape did it. The _Avada Kedavra_." Harry couldn't go on.

"But Dumbledore swore he was on our side!" whispered Tonks. "We all wondered... but he said he trusted…"

"Severus was a highly accomplished Occlumens," said Lupin, his voice uncharacteristically harsh. "We always knew that." He looked to Sirius again, half expecting Padfoot to jump in with his own scathing assessment of Snape's integrity, but Sirius had moved closer to the window and wasn't even paying attention to the conversation.

"I wondered if Dumbledore had something on him, knew something about Snape that we didn't," said Tonks thoughtfully. "Sort of blackmailed him into helping the Order."

"He did," said Harry. "Snape passed Voldemort the information that made Voldemort hunt down my mum and dad. Then Snape told Dumbledore he hadn't realized what he was doing, he was really sorry he'd done it, sorry that they were dead."

They all stared at him.

"And Dumbledore believed that?" said Lupin incredulously. "He probably was sorry about Lily, but Severus hated James. Surely that would have made his repentance suspect?"

"This is all my fault," said Professor McGonagall suddenly. She looked disoriented, twisting her wet handkerchief in her hands. "My fault. I sent Filius to fetch Snape tonight, I actually sent for him to come and help us! If I hadn't alerted Snape to what was going on, he might never have joined forces with the Death Eaters. I don't think he knew they were there before Filius told him, I don't think he knew they were coming."

"It isn't your fault, Minerva," said Lupin firmly. "We all wanted more help, we were glad to think Snape was on his way…"

"And we just let him get past with Draco," said Tonks in a hollow voice. "We thought they were being chased by the Death Eaters — and next thing, the other Death Eaters and Greyback were back and we were fighting again…"

"Sirius and I could have stopped him at Hagrid's," said Harry suddenly, his voice clipped and furious. "The others were disapparating. Snape and Malfoy were the last. Lina stopped us, and then ran off with them."

"Who's Lina?" asked Hermione confused

"Miss Andersson," ground out Harry. "It turns out Snape wasn't the only double agent in the Order."

"Miss Andersson was in the Order?" asked Ron in bewilderment. "Since when?"

Remus closed his eyes tiredly. "Lina was Snape's assistant?"

Tonks' eyes grew wide and she turned to Sirius. "Did you know she was here?" she asked, her voice stunned.

Harry scoffed. "They knew we didn't trust Snape, so they must've sent her. Sirius probably spilled all sorts of secrets because he fancied her!" Harry saw Sirius' shoulders stiffen, and could feel how childish the words sounded as they left his mouth, but he was too exhausted and furious and heartbroken to care. _This was how my dad probably felt._ He thought suddenly. _When Voldemort came to the house and he knew Pettigrew had betrayed them. Sirius chose her instead of me. He could have stopped Snape and he didn't._

"Harry, I'd like a word with you before we inform the rest of the students. Would you accompany me to the Headmaster's Office?" Professor McGonagall's eyes were still teary, but her lips were pressed into a thin line, indicating a profound displeasure. Whether that was because of his outburst or just the overall situation, Harry wasn't sure. He turned and left with her silently.

The rest of the people in the room tried to avoid looking at Sirius, who was still gazing out the window, seemingly ignoring all of them. Then the doors of the hospital wing burst open, making them all jump: Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were striding up the ward, Fleur just behind them, her beautiful face terrified.

"Let's give them some space. I'll walk you girls back to your dorms," said Tonks to Hermione and Luna. "I'll meet you two at the house later," she added, nodding to Remus, and then jerking her head toward Sirius, as if to tell him, _You deal with that._

Remus rose from his chair and walked over, clapping Sirius on the shoulder. "We need to inform the others," he said in a low voice. Sirius finally turned and looked at him, his eyes revealing utter confusion and devastation.

Isabel stepped up to George and hesitantly touched his arm. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "If I'd been more careful we could have gotten here sooner."

"It sounds like it all happened pretty fast. It probably wouldn't have made a difference. Besides," he added, smiling a little, and chucking her lightly on the chin. "Bill will love the story of you coming to find us. I don't think anyone's ever accidentally apparated themselves into a crate of Self-Propelling Custard Pies before."

"Be glad it wasn't the crate of Fanged Frisbees," said Fred sagely.

* * *

The night was so very clear. Stars twinkled cheerfully, even visible through the lights of London. Sirius paused to stare at it unseeingly as he threw back his glass of firewhiskey before resuming his pacing, weaving around the easels in his studio, all in various stages of completion.

 _Don't look for heroes. Don't look for heroes. Don't look for heroes._ The words resounded in his head like a skip on a record. Her face as she said it…she'd looked so helpless and sad for that split second. But why? Was she in some strange way trying to apologize for betraying them? Was it code for something else? She'd said sometimes you need a villain, but what was she trying to do?

Sirius' hand shook as he poured a second tumblerful of firewhiskey. The look in her eyes had cut him as deeply as the betrayal and anger he'd seen in Harry's eyes. What could he possibly have said to make the boy understand when he didn't fully understand it himself? _That was just how Prongs must've looked_. He thought suddenly. _When Voldemort came to the house and he realized what Wormtail had done. Utterly betrayed._

A hand reached out and gently removed the glass, setting it down on a nearby table. "I need to sleep in here tonight," Remus said, a little sheepishly.

Sirius made a face. "I'm not planning on drinking myself into oblivion," he muttered, pushing his hair back off his face.

"Eh — no. I may have said something to Artemis about Lina joining the Death Eaters with Snape…She rather read me the riot act. Said she trusted Lina with her life, and more than that, with all our lives. She said I shouldn't be looking for traitors under every rock, and some more things that were probably lines from films I didn't quite catch…"

Sirius sank into a chair wearily. "That makes me feel better actually. Not that you two had a row, but that someone besides me thinks Lina's not a traitor."

"Artemis and Daisy at least," acknowledged Remus, taking a seat beside him. "When we told them what had happened Daisy looked like we'd lost our minds, and Artemis just rolled her eyes. I probably shouldn't have brought it up again, but I thought I might need to prepare her for the possibility that…well, I guess that she might be in it up to her neck."

The door softly creaked open, and a tousled raven-black head peeked around the corner, bright blue eyes rimmed red from tears. "Remus?" Artemis said quietly. "I want to apologize. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. You just lost someone really important to you, and one of our most powerful allies. This…this is stressful and horrific, and you had to fight murderers in a _school._ Who knows what could have happened!? I just…I just overreacted, and I'm sorry."

The look on Remus' face almost made Sirius laugh. He looked just as sickeningly love-struck as James had looked at Lily. _And probably how I look at Lina._ He admitted silently.

Remus rose from his chair and crossed the room in a few long strides. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have pushed the issue tonight when we're already tired and overwhelmed," he said, looking intently into her eyes, before gathering her into his arms and kissing her soundly. The portraits of James and Lily and Sirius cheered silently while Regulus looked on with amused tolerance. The portraits across the room of Artemis and Remus caught each other's eye and smiled, blushing.

Artemis came across the room and threw her arms around Sirius' neck, squeezing the breath out of him. "Lina…she's good, deep down to her bones. I just think she's trying to help Severus. She's feels like she owes him a lot, just like Remus feels about Dumbledore. That has to be the reason…it has to be. I absolutely refuse to believe that Lina switched sides. "

"Me too, Kitten," he murmured, sniffing back his own unexpected tears. "Me too."

Ushering the two lovebirds out of his studio, Sirius closed the door and sank once more into the chair. He sighed, looking at the still full glass. Rubbing his head tiredly, he picked up the painting sitting beside him instead. Lina looked back at him somberly. "I guess I don't know you as well as I thought I did," he said softly. "Or I wouldn't have doubted you even a little. And I can't even ask you what you would do. The only part of you that's here is what I know. And you are so very good at keeping your secrets."

And Lina could only look back at him, unable to speak any word of rebuke or encouragement. Sirius set the painting to the side, dug into his pocket and pulled out an old locket and crumpled parchment. He spread the parchment out across his knee and read the familiar handwriting once more.

 _To the Dark Lord ~_ _I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know that I discovered your secret. I have stolen the real horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. ~ R.A.B_

Sirius picked up the tumbler and swirled the liquid around before taking a long swallow. He looked ruefully up at the portrait of himself and Regulus. "I guess I didn't know you as well as I thought I did either."


	60. Chapter 60

Chapter 60 ~ July, 1997

The emotional pall hanging over the inhabitants of Twelve Grimmauld Place was arguably reflecting the general mood of the majority of the wizarding population in Britain. Albus Dumbledore had been the preeminent voice against the rising darkness of Lord Voldemort's reign. Even the naysayers and scoffers that had deemed Dumbledore mentally unfit were now at least acknowledging he may have been right.

Remus had sat stoically through the memorial service, gripping Artemis' hand tightly. Despite his on again, off again frustration with some of Dumbledore's decisions and secrets, Remus had depended on the man's strength of will to lead them through this war, and he wondered who would possibly be able to fill the gap. How would the Order fair now that they were leaderless? It hadn't helped matters that Harry and Sirius were uncomfortably dancing around the rift in their relationship. A day or two after the incident in the Astronomy Tower, Sirius had met with Harry in McGonagall's office and tried to tell him that Lina was most likely working undercover with the Death Eaters at Dumbledore's request. Harry had simply stared at him stonily, and remarked that was what everyone had said about Snape before he murdered the very man he was supposedly working for. And for that matter, if people had listened to him earlier about Draco Malfoy, this whole situation might have been avoided. And then he'd left.

Sirius opted to skip over Dumbledore's memorial service entirely. He instead travelled to Yorkshire to contact Lina's family and find out if they knew anything of her whereabouts. But he had only found a deserted farm and neighbors that looked at him blankly when he asked after the family. _Laurent? There's never been any 'round here that I've heard of. French name, isn't it?_ He probably should have expected that she'd erase herself as thoroughly as she had the others. But the abandoned farm did give him a marvelous idea. A few owls, a few lawyers, an unreasonable amount of money later, and the Rodriguez Silver Corporation had acquired a vacation home. The potentially compromised headquarters at Twelve Grimmauld Place would be abandoned for a new location.

* * *

Sirius had wondered if his childhood home would take on a tinge of its former darkness as the house was packed up and emptied of the lively occupants. Squeaking doors and creaking floors were louder, echoing through the space, but the light that had dwelled here for so many months would not be pushed back so quickly. Curtains hung silent and still before closed windows, but peaceful instead of menacing. The kitchen, with its bright colors and enchanted windows, still offered the faint scent of vanilla and cinnamon. The love and friendship that had been allowed to flourish was baked into the rooms.

When Kreacher had been informed that everyone was leaving, the old elf scrunched up his face, tears leaking silently from his round eyes. But before he could muster up bitter words about Half-Breeds stealing his Mistress and Poor Kreacher being abandoned again, Remus solemnly set a cardboard box at his feet. Kreacher looked at him suspiciously. "It's to pack your things in," Remus said quietly. "So you can come live with us at the new house."

Kreacher sniffed loudly, rubbing roughly at his teary eyes with confusion. Finn then came up to him and patted his arm gently. "Pack!" he said smiling, and grabbed the elf's hand, pulling him towards the cupboard. Finn pushed his old teddy bear into the elf's hands and then promptly crawled into the small, dark cupboard. He emerged with his arms full of mouldy clothes that he dumped with great ceremony into the box.

Kreacher watched Finn silently and then handed him back the well-loved stuffed toy and caressed the little boy's head tenderly. "Nice beastie," he croaked. "Kreacher will come." Shuffling into his little house, Kreacher began to pull out framed photos and jewels and family heirlooms, wrapping them in the rotting pieces of fabric and laying them carefully in the box. When he'd finished, Sirius knelt down to close up the box and let out an audible gasp as he looked inside. Lying atop the reverently folded Black Family Tapestry was a heavy gold locket, the green jewels of the serpentine _S_ inlaid on the cover sparkled under the bright kitchen lights.

"Kreacher," Sirius said in a strangled voice. "Did Reggie give you this?"

Kreacher nodded sadly. "Brave Master Regulus," he whispered, tears beginning anew. "Kreacher helped Master Regulus betray the Dark Lord."

Sirius stood slowly and pulled the matching locket from his pocket, staring at the ancient and wrinkled house elf and wondering how this tormentor from his past had become an unexpected ally. "Well done, Kreacher," he said softly, meeting Remus' stunned face across the room. "We may have a chance to defeat him yet."

* * *

The Americans had quickly settled into a familiar routine on the hundred acre property. Joshua spent hours walking the fields and planning out how to best save the acres of wheat that had been left mid season from the encroaching rye grass while Xavier and Hezekiah gamely set to work magicking up the tractor and combine. Catherine had restocked the henhouse and now had her eye on finding maybe a calf or a few goats to take up residence in the small barn. And Artemis and Sirius set to work enlarging the three-hundred-year-old stone farmhouse by a couple wings and several stories to accommodate everyone.

Catherine took deep lungfuls of the fresh air, feeling finally at home for the first time since she'd left the reservation as she followed along with Finn to collect eggs. The little boy insisted on trying to sneak up on the Light Sussex hens to pet them, and the hens would tolerantly pick up their pace as they strutted around the yard, alternately keeping away from the eager boy and continuing their hunt for small insects to supplement their feed. The henhouse was dark and warm in the early summer evening, the soft rosy sunshine filtered through the slatted walls onto the nest boxes. Catherine moved quickly through the space, retrieving eggs from the higher nests while Finn chattered about his shik'ns and rummaged around in the lower nests. Satisfied that every hidden egg had been discovered, they carried their eggs back towards the house and left the baskets on the back step.

In anticipation of upcoming conflicts, Ellie had gone down to London for a few hours to try and restock some potions. The apothecary in Glasgow had plenty of ingredients for sale, but Diagon Alley had more ready-made potions available, and for all their combined skills, none of the werewolves were accomplished potioneers. So Catherine had volunteered to keep an eye on Finn, taking the little boy hunting for frogs in the creek, chasing chickens and gathering eggs. Now he insisted on going into the larger of the two barns on the property and checking on Hezekiah and Xavier's progress with the tractor.

The small barn was a solid stone edifice, as old as the house. The large barn was a modern, metal structure, housing the large machines needed to bring in the harvest and a workshop area that Kieran had already claimed for woodworking. Catherine could hear the low voices of the men, punctuated by occasional laughs as she and Finn entered the barn.

"Hey! There's my little buddy!" Kieran called. Finn ran to him, arms outstretched. "Did you come to help me sand the table?" Kieran asked, scooping him up.

Finn grinned happily as he nodded. "I work with my daddy," he said, little voice laced with pride as he wrapped his arms around Kieran's neck and squeezed.

The silence that fell was almost tangible. Xavier and Hezekiah pretended to be suddenly very busy with something underneath the tractor, and Kieran stared for a moment at the little boy before turning helplessly to Catherine.

"We found an old children's book left behind in one of the rooms," Catherine said softly. "It's a picture book about a family on a farm. Ellie said he's been pointing to pictures of the people and telling her who they are. So some days he says the grandparents are Oscar and Rosa and sometimes it's Hawthorne and Jane. The rest of us take turns being the bothers and sisters, and you're always the daddy. Ellie didn't want to say anything because she didn't want you to feel uncomfortable."

Kieran rubbed the little boy's back before setting him down on the ground. "Come on, buddy. Let's get you a piece of sandpaper to try." He moved to take a piece of sandpaper from the workbench and turned back to Catherine. "Does…does Ellie correct him," he asked in a choked voice, "when he says it?"

Catherine shook her head. "She just says it's good that you take care of us as well as the daddy in the book takes care of his family."

Kieran took a long breath and nodded, his hand resting for a moment on the tousled brown head that rubbed steadily on the wooden tabletop with his little scrap of sandpaper. "Would you tell her…tell her it's an honor."

Catherine nodded and moved to leave the barn, stopping when she felt a hand grab her own. She turned back to see Xavier's soft smile. "If Kieran's going to watch Finn for a bit, would you like to take a walk?" he asked.

She almost laughed. They had yet to go on what could be termed an official date, but he was always quick and eager to spend any extra little bit of time with her that he could, even when he had grease stains from the tractor on his shirt and her jeans were still damp and mud spattered from the creek. "Are you finished helping Hezekiah for now?" she asked.

"Yep. Everything's in pieces. Once he finishes putting his insulating spells on all the different components, Xander and me will attempt to put everything back together and see how it goes. Arthur Weasley was telling me he once had a little Ford that he'd worked on, but apparently the more complicated the equipment the greater the chance of the magic sort of taking over."

"What does that mean?" she asked interestedly.

"Well, Hezekiah said the stuff can almost become sentient…you know, almost alive — thinking for themselves."

Catherine laughed. "That explains the vacuum cleaner Grams would always talk about! Until you and Hezekiah started working on those things, Grams and Nana were always extremely hesitant to try using any No-Maj machines. I couldn't understand why."

They walked quietly from the large barn along a dry stone fence that divided the barnyard from the rest of the property, content to just glance at each other occasionally. Out here in the country, it was clear how stifled Catherine had felt living in London. Xavier hadn't quite realized she'd gotten rather pale and thin during their six months at Grimmauld Place. But in the few weeks they'd been in Yorkshire, her appetite had improved and the hours she spent outdoors had lightened her hair and turned her skin a lovely golden brown. She just wasn't a city girl. Isabel, on the other hand was gone almost every weekend, alternately spending time with George Weasley and pleading for Sirius or Gareth to take her out to different clubs and karaoke bars.

"So I heard that all of you got told off for the tattoo stunt," Xavier said after a few minutes, his voice amused.

"Oh yes," sighed Catherine. "Mamá went off for at least ten minutes in Spanish without taking a breath. Even Papá was a little surprised. More about the fact that we hadn't discussed it with them first. I mean…she has a point. If it's important to all of us, then we shouldn't have to hide it from them. But you know how Izzy is. I think the fact that she knew Mamá would disapprove made it more exciting."

Xavier shook his head. "She and Xander are two peas in a pod. She's lucky she has the rest of you to look out for her. So…you haven't shown me what's unique about yours…"

His voice changed a little and Catherine stopped walking to look at him. He looked a little…shy? Hurt? She'd been going to show him, but well, truth be told she was a little shy about it herself. She wasn't quite sure if he'd see it as foolish or important. Isabel had said it was romantic, but it didn't feel romantic. Getting that tattoo had hurt, and Catherine had considered backing out more than once. But it was done now, and the little extra symbol on her dagger was there to remind her to be brave and remember what she was fighting for, even if she didn't want to fight.

She solemnly held out her arm. Xavier took her wrist in his hand and held it closer. There on the hilt of the dainty weapon, so small it would be easy to miss, was the image of a round shield; three rings of different shades of black around a single star. Unthinkingly, he traced the lines of the dagger with a calloused fingertip, and then was surprised to see goosebumps appear up her arm.

"Why?" he asked softly, unsure of what he even wanted her to say.

"You said once that Captain America was loyal to a dream of how things could be. I don't want to be in a war, but I do want things to be different. So I guess it helps me remember that there are some things worth fighting for. It helps me remember to have courage," she paused and took a quick breath to push the rest of the words out before she lost the little bit of courage she had in this moment. "And it's for you. You've encouraged me to be more than I thought I could, whether it was something little like learning how to skip rocks, or improving my time on that ridiculous obstacle course, or something huge like studying nursing. This might sound kind of dumb, but…you _are_ Captain America for me."

Not for the first time around her, Xavier thought he might actually be drowning. It had become hard to breathe, and his chest felt tight. Simply nodding, he began walking again. Catherine felt a moment of regret, thinking that maybe her words had all been too much and he thought she was an idiot, but then he reached out and took her hand, running a thumb reassuringly over her knuckles.

"I, uh, I was a Lance Corporal, you know," he said, his tone slightly teasing. "Nowhere near Captain. I was only in the corps for two years before the bombing in Lebanon."

"Well, you would have made Captain," Catherine laughed. "But between us, I'm very glad you didn't get to stay in the Marines longer."

* * *

The black-cloaked witch and wizard apparated into the narrow moonlit lane and began a silent walk up a wide driveway, bordered by a manicured hedge. Silent for but a moment as the man began speaking in low urgent tones. "Your mental walls must be in place at _all_ times."

"Yes, I know," the witch replied in a calm voice.

"Show awe and respect, but do not fawn, he will respect you better for it."

"I understand." The witch's voice took on a slightly exasperated tone, as if this were a scene she had acted out many times before.

"Bellatrix is the most dangerous. You need to play up to her, but don't overdo it. She respects my position, but not me, and will not respect you for…being with me."

"Being with you? Goodness, you make it sound so romantic," she said, her eye roll invisible to the man, but clear in her voice.

The man stopped short and gripped the woman's wrist savagely. "Do not take this lightly!" he hissed.

The woman jerked her hand away. "Sir, for the last time, I _understand_!" she hissed back at him. "I am not a fool and this is hardly the first job I've undertaken where someone could kill me at any moment. You have gone over this again and again. I won't let you down," she added in a softer tone.

Severus Snape exhaled slowly through his hooked nose, and gave one sharp nod before continuing the walk up the driveway. Perhaps the reminders were for himself as much as for her. They entered the large manor house and then a drawing room off of the entrance hall.

Lina blinked in the dim light, her eyes slowly adjusting as she took in the long ornate table surrounded by silent people, all dressed in varying shades and styles of black. And hanging above the table was a person, apparently unconscious and suspended upside down.

"Ah, Severus, you are very nearly late," came a high, clear voice from the head of the table.

Snape placed a hand on the small of Lina's back and gently guided her forward. Lina kept her face perfectly composed, her mind sealed up tight, as Snape had taught her. As they drew nearer, she could make out the face of the most feared man in Britain — hairless, snakelike, with slits for nostrils and gleaming red eyes whose pupils were vertical, so pale he almost seemed to glow.

"And you have brought our new convert," the voice continued. "The one you said ensured your successful escape from Hogwarts? Come, sit here." Voldemort indicated the two seats on his immediate right. "So?"

"My Lord, the Order of the Phoenix intends to move Harry Potter from his current place of safety on Saturday next, at nightfall." Severus' voice was reverential, but not ingratiating.

Voldemort's eyes locked on to Snape's with a ferocious intensity. Unbeknownst to the mortals in the room, a supernatural confrontation was occurring at the same time. The pulsating dark shadow that hovered around and behind the man that had once been Tom Riddle stretched and uncoiled itself as this last witch and wizard entered the room. This enemy was familiar with all the warriors standing at attention at his table. There were not too many to bother about most of the time, and few rarely put up a fight, but tonight…

 _Who are you to come to my table? You have little power here._

Lina's warrior seemed to stand both directly above her and behind her, as though the woman was wrapped in the folds of the warrior's robes. One hand held a long-handled battle axe defensively in front of the witch, the other a broadsword over her head.

Severus' warrior for the moment was ignoring the two enemies that had been his constant companions for many years. Unforgiveness was bound at his feet, Identity bound and muzzled beside him. The warrior took up a similar stance, seeming to envelop his wizard as he held aloft two scimitars.

 _You know us. We are warriors of the One Who Sits on the Throne, and defenders of the Servants of Light._

As if the darkness was breathing, it expanded and approached Severus, a wicked face appeared out of the shadow studying Professor Snape's face curiously, before collapsing back on itself.

 _Hmmm. Servant of Light? This mortal is ambiguous. It would be best to let us have him. We have spent much time with him._

Snape's warrior squared his shoulders to prepare for an assault. _You do not have that authority._

The shadow moved as if heaving a huge sigh. _No matter. Our host has been a more than willing plaything._ _The fallout from his greed will consume many._ A vicious cackling laugh resounded through the room, unheard by the witches and wizards around the long table. _Our host is as yet unaware of this one's duplicity. Perhaps we should inform him of the traitors that dwell in his midst._

Lina's warrior drew up sternly. _You operate under the illusion that you have unlimited power over all who might cross your path. But for now your access to these two is restricted._

 _Yes. For now…_

The darkness receded to wrap itself again around Voldemort, but the warriors did not relax their stance, holding vigil as the host of darkness and his followers discussed plans to kill Harry Potter.

"Now, Fenrir," Voldemort said, "how go your efforts to reclaim our assets from the last war? I am most eager to put them to use."

"We have tracked the werewolf pack to Kielder Forest, My Lord. Two of my men will be scouting the area tonight," Greyback answered uneasily.

"Hmmm. And do you feel capable of handling this assignment? After all, if these creatures are no longer bound by the moon to transform, as the reports lead me to believe, you might find yourself a little out of your depth."

"I will take care of it, My Lord. I swear to you…"

Voldemort laughed, a high pitched, grating sound. "You need not swear to me again, Werewolf. Your fealty is assured. I doubt anyone else would be so lenient with your…appetites. But know this — if you are unable to secure the rest of your kind in service to me, I will wipe all of you from the face of the earth."

Lina had stayed perfectly still and calm through the discussions, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, trying to control and hide the waves of fury that washed over her at Voldemort's words. Though he betrayed no movement, she felt Professor Snape cover her hands with one of his own and pat her once, reassuringly.

Voldemort then pointed a wand at the person dangling over the table, who seemed to awake, struggling against the magic that held her in place. "Do you and your companion recognize our guest, Severus?" he asked.

Severus raised his eyes to the upside-down face, and as the woman slowly revolved she said in a cracked and terrified voice, "Severus! Help me!"

Lina felt his hand suddenly grip hers. "Ah, yes," Severus replied, his voice betraying no flicker of emotion.

"And you, Draco?" asked Voldemort, stroking the snout of the enormous snake beside him.

The boy nodded jerkily, looking petrified. Lina kept her gaze fixed on Charity Burbage, the poor Muggle-studies teacher, as Voldemort droned on about the abomination of mixing magical and Muggle blood. She was impotent to help her in any way, but Lina would give her at least this bit of dignity. She would watch the atrocity and acknowledge its horror as Charity died. She would not look away from the poisonous fruit of the rotting ideals that had been allowed to infest her country.

The jet of green light and the words of death felt like a release for the woman who had clearly been tormented at the hands of the Death Eaters. Her body fell with a crash onto the table, causing several to leap back in their seats, and Draco to fall out of his chair to the floor. Lina and Severus sat there impassively, but Lina felt her stomach twist sickeningly as the great serpent slithered off of Voldemort's shoulders onto the polished wooden table to consume its feast.

* * *

Three werewolves and a mountain lion moved silently and steadily through the trees, circling the small house where an eerie green skull rose above the rooftop. Another breakout at Azkaban had resulted in an increase in attacks on Muggles and wizarding families reluctant to throw their lot in with Voldemort. With the Dark Mark already in the sky, Artemis was unsure they would be in time to apprehend any of the culprits, let alone save any of the family. But Remus seemed to think jobs like this were the work of newer recruits. The Death Eaters that had approached the werewolf camp hadn't been the most skilled fighters, and he hadn't recognized any of them. New recruits were apt to be sloppy and so there was always the chance they might catch one of them.

A familiar underlying scent wafted on the air, and the team hesitated for a fraction of a second. Werewolf. Some of the English pack had been here within the last week. Artemis transformed out of her animagus form and drew her wand, slowly approaching the front door that looked as if it had been blasted out of the way.

She nodded to Joshua and Daisy, who made their way around to the rear of the house. Joshua opted to enter the house in werewolf form, Daisy behind him with her wand drawn. He'd practiced over and over until he was the fastest at changing back and forth, knowing the shock at seeing such a large werewolf would give them a few seconds' advantage. Silently opening the back door, Joshua padded into the small house, through the empty kitchen. A dinner sat half-finished on the table. Daisy gritted her teeth at the sight of a high chair tipped over on its side. They could hear rough laughter now coming from the living room, and she quietly opened the door, allowing Joshua through first.

The sight would have been funny if the circumstances hadn't been so horrendous. The two wizards were so intent on their tortuous entertainment, that they didn't even see the werewolf at first. Daisy and Joshua realized finally that they had cast a silencing spell on the family, choosing not to hear the screams as they cast a _Cruciatus_ curse on the mother and children, alternating hitting or cutting the father each time he reacted to his family's pain. Joshua let out a fierce snarling growl, and the wizards began to stumble and push each other in their frantic bid to leave the house, throwing spells toward the werewolf haphazardly. Daisy cast a shield around them all with a distracted air as she began to help the family. Joshua had to merely take few steps forward before the wizards were fleeing.

Outside, Artemis waited near the front door while Xander hung back in the trees. They heard the sudden yells from inside and then two figures ran out of the front door, hurling spells chaotically. Artemis threw herself out of the way and cast up a shield, before going after the two. She heard a crash and more yelling from inside. It would seem they had caught this group in the act. She only hoped they were in time to save some of the family. Wand flashing, Artemis flung spell after spell, driving them ahead of her towards the trees.

 _Come on. Just a little closer._ Artemis was relentless, and though the men seemed to be holding their own, she was slowly forcing them back to where Xander waited in the darkness. Xander couldn't risk charging at them until he knew he could take them out faster than they could cast a spell. _Come on. Just a bit more…Now!_ Launching himself forward, Xander grabbed the closest wizard by the leg, crunching down on the bone and swinging him away. The taste of blood and the horrified scream made him feel a little sick, but he turned and pounced on the man, pinning him to the ground with his massive paws. The man's wand had fallen out of his hand and lay on the ground out of reach, though he tried to scrabble across the damp earth for it. Leaning over, Xander grabbed up the wand in his jaws and held it over the man's face, mildly enjoying his terrified and confused expression. Xander had to admit it probably looked like he was trying to play fetch. But instead he bit down and broke the wand neatly in half, tossing the pieces away. The broken wand had let off a spark as it died and left a faint taste of sulfur in his mouth. The man under him whimpered. Jumping off and grabbing up the man by his collar, Xander dragged him over to where Artemis had stupefied and tied up the other wizard in the moment he was distracted by the werewolf attack.

Inside, Daisy had immediately recanted the silencing spell and released the father from his magical bondage. It was hardly surprising that he flung himself at Joshua, trying to protect his wife and children from what he supposed was the next part of the evil men's plan — feeding them all to a savage beast. Joshua had transformed back in surprise and taken a sharp fist to the cheek before he and Daisy were able to explain that they were there to help. Joshua as best he could, healed up the wounds on the man's body, while Daisy drew a bottle of potion from a bag. Ellie had created what amounted to small first aid kits that each team took with them on missions. After dripping some Pepper Up potion into a toddler's mouth, she helped the mother and older boy drink some as well, tossing Joshua a bottle of dittany to pour over the father's wounds. The family sat there in shock as Artemis and Xander dragged the two men back into the house, one crying pitifully about his leg.

"Tea?" said Daisy suddenly, looking at the mother. "That's what English people do, right? Strong tea with sugar? Why don't we go in the kitchen and have tea while my…my colleagues handle things in here." She stood and offered her hand to the older boy, who couldn't have been more than seven or eight. He took her hand and held out his other hand to his mother, who was holding the smaller boy, though she looked as if she might pass out at any moment. "I have chocolate in my bag too," Daisy said, trying to smile. "It really helps in stressful situations."

The father nodded to them, and Daisy led the family back into the kitchen. Joshua looked at the man questioningly as he kept his seat. The father waved his hand. "Go on with what you're doing. Because as soon as you're finished I'm planning to kill them both right here."

Artemis cast a silencing spell on the living room. "There's no need for that poor family to hear what's about to happen. They've been traumatized enough for one night," she said, pacing back and forth, studying the two men. "Now…what on earth can these people have done to warrant such wrath from the likes of you?"

The wizard with the broken leg could only mutter and weep. "I can heal his leg if that will help," offered Joshua.

"No," said Artemis in a cold voice. "You may be capable of offering mercy, but I was trained differently."

"Did you bite him?" Joshua murmured to Xander.

Xander nodded. "I might have stepped on him too," he added with a dark grin. Joshua raised his eyebrows.

"So about a week ago a group of people passed through here, is that right?" Artemis asked, turning suddenly to the father of the house. He nodded. "How did they appear? Beggars? Travelers? Migrant workers?"

The man seemed a little confused by the line of questioning. "They were looking for work. I hired them for a couple days to help thin the apple and pear trees. But…these men weren't part of that group."

Artemis resumed her pacing. She stopped in front of the uninjured wizard and gripped his chin, staring into his smug eyes. "Now, you aren't planning to answer any questions are you? So foolish for your master to leave you vulnerable to interrogations. You really could learn something from the No-Maj, you know? They use a false tooth with a little pellet of cyanide. A little over dramatic for me, but it does the trick." She looked over at Joshua and Xander. "Were they part of the group that attacked the encampment last month?"

Both men nodded. "Yeah, they were there with Greyback," added Xander. "And let's have less monologuing, please. I'm tired."

Artemis paused to wink at him before pulling a small vial out of her pocket. "We'll just skip right ahead to the _Veritaserum,_ then shall we?" She poured a little of the contents down the struggling wizard's throat and dropped down to sit casually on the floor, waiting for the potion to take effect.

"Are you tracking the werewolf pack?" she asked. The man nodded angrily. "Why?"

The father's eyes widened and he leaned cautiously towards Joshua. "Are you a werewolf?" Joshua nodded.

"Are you all werewolves?"

"Just me and him," said Joshua, gesturing to Xander. "And Daisy, in the kitchen."

"So are werewolves the good guys?"

"Most of us are."

"Am I going to wake up in the morning and find out this was all a dream?" he then whispered.

"Probably," said Joshua. "It's usually easier that way."

The bound wizard squirmed uncomfortably as he tried to fight against the serum. "Greyback," he finally hissed. "He was ordered to recruit more Half-Breeds."

"But the pack refused to join him," said Artemis. "So why are you tracking them now? Revenge?"

"Greyback wants the children. The ones he turned. And he wants to destroy the rest."

"It was obvious the pack had moved on. Why turn on the No-Maj family?"

The wizard sneered at her, and Artemis waved her hand at him. "Never mind, you don't have to answer that. You don't think you need a reason to torture them. Well, it was stupid of you to set the mark in the sky so soon. Best to wait until you're leaving the premises I think. _Obliviate._ "

Artemis clambered to her feet. "Ok, Joshua. You grab that bigger guy. We'll apparate them to St. Mungo's. It would be easier to just dispose of them, but we need to send a message. Greyback won't know who's responsible for their condition and it might make him rethink trying to hunt you down. I'm afraid I can't let you kill them," she added, turning to the father. "I completely understand your desire, but I wouldn't be doing you any favors letting you become a murderer."

"What if they come back?" he asked, watching the men warily.

"I've erased their memories. They won't remember who you are or where you are or why they came here. I'm supposed to erase yours too. It's probably better your family doesn't remember this."

The man was looking a little stunned. "Werewolves. And, what are those? Magic wands? If I hadn't seen my wife and boys screaming because of whatever those men did…If I hadn't felt each blow and cut myself…I would think this was all a prank of some kind."

"It's not a prank," said Artemis seriously. "And it's very, very dangerous."

Still the man hesitated. "But…how do you go on with your life knowing this is all real? Knowing magic and…and magical creatures are really out there? And the fairy tales got it wrong and werewolves are the good guys?"

"Some of us are good guys," clarified Xander. "Not all, and even some of us good ones aren't exactly white hats."

"And it was werewolves that passed through here?" he pressed, clearly trying to assimilate all this information. "They worked hard and moved on. Didn't cause any trouble." He nodded firmly, as though settling something in his mind. "You can erase the memories of tonight for my boys, and my wife if she wants. I sure don't want them reliving those moments. But you leave my memories intact. I want to remember this. And you tell the good ones, wizards or werewolves or fairies or whoever else you have in your world, if they need work or a meal or a place to stay, they can come here."

It was Artemis' turn to look surprised. "Sir, I'm not sure I can do that. It's breaking our number one law."

Xander snorted and she threw him a withering glance. "What?" he asked. "You and Lina only follow the laws when it suits you and you know it."

"Listen," the father continued, pressing his point. "My family, we believe in taking care of people that need help. We live simply and share what we can. That's why I hire people that don't seem to have other options."

Artemis frowned uncertainly. Daisy then entered the room, the wife following her, rushing over to check on her husband. "She let me modify the boys' memories, but wanted to talk with her husband first before I changed hers," the girl said cheerfully. "They know the Creator, isn't that neat! They didn't know about all of us, but they know about the warriors and the enemies."

Sighing, Artemis gave up. "All right, fine. If you want to run some sort of safe house for healed werewolves, have at it. Come on, Joshua," she added, grabbing the now quiet wizard with the mangled leg by his arm. "How I'm going to explain this to Kingsley I don't know," she said under her breath. The two of them disappeared with a loud pop.

"Be right back," Joshua said to Daisy and Xander, before he gripped the remaining dark wizard and disapparated.

The couple turned wide eyes on Daisy and Xander. "Where did they go?"

Daisy shrugged. "They're taking the men to a magic hospital," said Xander. "Whoever sent them will know they failed in their objective and hopefully rethink trying to get to the English werewolf pack."

Joshua and Artemis appeared again as Xander finished speaking. "Now then," said Artemis very businesslike, "if you are serious about this, there have to be some guidelines…Not rules," she said, rolling her eyes at Xander as he cleared his throat suggestively. "Do not under any circumstances talk about this to anyone. Normal people will think you're insane. If we send someone here we'll give them a codeword to use, so you know they're our people."

"Howling Commandos," said Daisy promptly. Everyone turned and stared at her. "What? It's perfect. That's what we call ourselves anyway. So if there's a werewolf that needs help they're probably going to be in this fight with us which would make them a Howling Commando too."

"Fine," said Artemis, shaking her head. "So if we send someone they will tell you they're with the Howling Commandos. Otherwise, don't trust them. I'll send a Healer around tomorrow. Her name's Ellie. She'll just check to make sure you aren't suffering any aftereffects from the curses they used. Let's go," she finished, waving Joshua and Daisy out the door.

Daisy gave the woman a quick hug, grabbing Joshua's hand as they left the house.

"Would you really have just killed those wizards off? Disposed of them?" Xander asked, after Joshua and Daisy disapparated.

Artemis' face was uncharacteristically hard. "Yes. You said it yourself. I only follow the rules when it suits me. There was a reason Lina and I worked well together, however different we may be. I have no tolerance for people who hurt children."

* * *

We finally made it to book 7! I honestly had no idea when I started that this was where the story was headed. I'm very thankful to all of you for sticking with me and I hope you're enjoying it! TangerineSky421, I couldn't leave you a message, but thank you for your review! I'm so glad you are enjoying the story. :)


	61. Chapter 61

Chapter 61 ~ July, 1997

The weather was gorgeous when things started to fall apart. At least, that was how Gareth always remembered it. The long summer evening was just dipping into the cool side of comfortable, and they'd eaten dinner outside, lightning bugs darting around as Finn chased them.

"It's fun to think about you having your own kids," Isabel remarked happily, after watching Catherine exclaim over the lightning bug Finn had managed to capture and bring her.

"Why…why would you say something like that?" Catherine whispered, the heartbreak obvious on her face. Isabel opened her mouth to respond, her confusion evident, but Catherine cut her off harshly, "Why can't you ever just keep quiet? Not every thought that crosses your mind has to come out of your mouth! Honestly, Isabel! Do you ever think about how other people might feel? I hate that I'm not able to bear any children. I hate that we're stuck in a situation that makes me wonder if having children would even be a good idea. I hate that I've wondered about adopting children if I survive this war, because the reality is there will be children out there that lose their parents. I hate that I've wondered if a magical child would even want a mother that can't do magic, let alone one that's a werewolf. I hate that I don't want to adopt a No-Maj child, because I don't want to introduce them to a world where they'll never be fully included just because they can't do magic. I hate that I've even thought about any of that! But do you ever stop for just a moment and think that maybe that isn't a great discussion topic? No, you only think about yourself. You bury your head in the sand thinking that everything will always turn out all right. That not hope. That's denial. Things don't always turn out all right!"

"Oh, _Querida_ ," Rosa whispered, her eyes filled with tears.

Finally realizing that everyone was staring at her, surprise and compassion written across their faces, Catherine felt sick with shame. She glanced briefly at Xavier, and his shocked expression was too much to bear. Without even really thinking, she transformed and raced off into the night.

Isabel looked miserable. "I don't understand," she whispered. "I thought she'd be excited, now that we don't have to transform on the full moons. I mean…nine months isn't that long, is it? So if we're careful…" her voiced trailed off at the eruption of gasps and murmurs of shock, and she glanced around at everyone warily. "Hadn't anybody else thought of that?"

It was obvious they hadn't, but there was no time to discuss the subject, as Alastor Moody and Nymphadora Tonks showed up right at that moment. Mad-Eye was planning to take Remus, Hawthorne, Oscar, and Kieran to follow up on a rumor that Greyback had been sighted near Inverness. The Auror Office had just been alerted that a Dark Mark was set in the sky over Plymouth, and Moody grabbed Tonks to go check it out with the Order members on rotation for that night — Rosa, Jane, Hezekiah and Xavier.

Isabel stayed quiet as the others prepared to leave, she and Gareth gathering up the dishes to clean, her face still very upset. "Cat really thinks I'm a selfish person doesn't she?" she murmured to Gareth.

"Izzy, we can all say things when we're upset that we wouldn't say otherwise," Gareth said as his wand directed the plates to stack themselves.

"Wouldn't say otherwise, or don't really mean?" asked Isabel quietly. "There's a difference."

Gareth sent the stack of plates zipping into the kitchen and walked over to her, drawing her close to his side. "Izzy, everybody's got faults. You get excited about stuff and don't always think through everything before you act on it. You could maybe learn a little self control, but that doesn't mean you're a terrible person."

"But that's why nobody wanted to pick me, right?" she said, trying very hard not to cry. "To claim? When we had to worry about that? I know everyone thinks I'm difficult and stubborn, and…selfish apparently."

"That's enough," interrupted Gareth. "Sure, you can be difficult. But Joshua's withdrawn, and Cat's insecure, and Daisy's got her head in the clouds, and I'm overbearing. We've all got our issues. The question is, can we grow as people and learn to handle them, and can we be gracious about the issues other people might have?"

Isabel looked off to where Catherine had run. "Should I go after her?" she whispered. "Cat's probably been thinking about all this stuff for a long time…having a baby, I mean."

"I think we should leave her for now, let her cool off a little. Let's go over the set list for the wedding again. I'm still not sold on doing all those Weird Sisters songs."

"Yeah, they have a couple good ones, but I think Chimera Chaos is better. And we can't forget Celestina. I thought Molly was going to cry when I mentioned I could do _Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love_. She said they played that at her and Arthur's wedding."

* * *

Catherine spent the next several hours roaming around and trying to process why she was so angry. The truth was, a statement like that wasn't so unusual for Isabel. She often spoke her mind and any hurt she caused was always unintentional, but…Catherine was just tired of it. She changed out of her wolf form and sat back against a tree, studying the tattoo on her arm, barely visible in the gathering darkness. Brave. What a joke. She wasn't brave. And everyone was probably consoling Isabel at this moment, telling her they knew she hadn't meant anything by her thoughtless words.

Letting out a self-deprecating laugh, Catherine closed her eyes against the tears that started falling. She knew she was guilty of the very thing she'd accused Isabel of being. It was pretty selfish to sit out here in the dark feeling sorry for herself, and hoping someone would bother to come find her. The truth was, Isabel's comment had just brought up another area where Catherine felt inadequate. She was living in a magical world, unable to do magic; could change into a powerful creature, capable of fighting evil, but felt too scared and sickened by the idea to do it. And she couldn't do the one thing that set women apart, that had given women a sense of identity and purpose for thousands of years. And even though a part of her desperately wanted a child, Xavier's child if she were brutally honest, she knew it was selfish to focus on that one thing in light of everything else going on. But that knowledge didn't stop the longing coursing through her. And it was a longing she could never articulate. She and Isabel and Daisy were in the same boat, after all. Jane had a son, but he had been lost to her for over ten years now. And Rosa had never had the chance to have her own children, but instead mothered the five unwanted waifs that had fallen in her lap. It just wasn't fair how life handed out children.

Catherine let out a shuddering sigh and opened her eyes, wiping away the tears. The air in front her suddenly began to shimmer and dance, as a large werewolf appeared. Catherine felt frozen in place as the great, shining beast moved closer until she was completely enveloped in its light. She exhaled slowly and relaxed into the sensation. It felt like someone had hugged her, wrapping her in a comforting embrace like Rosa had done when she was small.

 _You wanted someone to come find you, but I am always here. You are never alone._

Catherine wasn't sure how long she stayed like that, simply resting in the embrace. But the wolf did finally draw back, an unexpectedly kind and understanding look on its face. Catherine sniffed and drew her knees up to her chest. "I'm being silly, aren't I?" she asked.

 _No. Those longings in you are part of who you are designed to be. They were placed there for a purpose. Your struggle is knowing what to do with them._

"Lashing out at my sister is probably not what I'm supposed to do with them, though, huh?"

 _You have a remarkable capacity for showing others compassion. That is something the magical realm greatly needs. You have allowed your circumstances to help shape you into a strong and gentle woman. Do not shake your head. It is true, you have great strength. You are capable of setting aside your own desires to help others. You are a stabilizing force in the midst of very uncertain times._

"But I don't want to fight. I'm don't want to think about the blood and the screaming and…"

 _But when you were helping Ellie deliver Artemis' baby, were you worried about any of that? When you study the medical books and think about helping people in their moments of suffering are you scared of the blood and the screaming? No. You are able to set those things aside. Do you know why?_

"No."

 _Because love casts out fear. When your concern and compassion and love for the hurting wells upside you, there is no room left for fear to dwell in your heart. You must learn to live in that state._

"Then how do I handle Isabel? Those thoughtless remarks make me so angry."

 _Her remarks are not so thoughtless as they appear. If they sometimes sting it is because she has not fully learned to temper truth with love. But you must know her great desire is to see you happy._

"Will any of us still be happy by the time this war is over?"

 _I cannot promise you will not suffer. But I can promise the suffering is purposeful. As a field is burned to remove brush and prepare soil for new growth, suffering can prepare you to show other people greater mercy. I can also tell you that your future is not unknown, and I will be here to walk through each day of it with you._

The great wolf then faded away, revealing a large, red-gold werewolf approaching her in the darkness. She stood up and walked to meet him, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in the thick, curling fur. Xavier transformed back, and wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you for coming to find me," she said, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

Xavier pulled away and cupped her face in his hands. He couldn't tell in the darkness if her eyes were red and swollen, but her voice sounded like she'd been crying. "Cat, you've been gone for hours. Everyone's worried."

"But no one else came to look for me?" She didn't quite mean her voice to sound so bitter. She usually appreciated being left to work out her feelings for herself.

Xavier took a deep breath. "Catherine. Tonight didn't go well. We went to check on a Dark Mark and ran into at least a dozen Death Eaters. A bunch of No-Maj had been killed."

Catherine looked him over carefully, only just noticing the faint smell of smoke and something bitter leftover from different spells. His shirt was torn and a long burn ran down his arm, obscuring part of a tattoo. She looked back into his eyes and ran her fingertips through the curls on his forehead. "You need to let Ellie take a look at your arm," she said softly.

Xavier shook his head. "I'm all right. Ellie's busy. Mad-Eye took another team after Greyback. It looks like he got some of Alec's people to join him after all. Oscar and Remus got torn up pretty bad. Jane was with me and got hit with something, and Rosa…" He hesitate, taking a deep breath. "Cat, Rosa's gone."

Catherine closed her eyes, as if that would make the world reset itself. A swirl of memories played out across her mind — laughing dark eyes, Spanish lullabies, gentle hands braiding her hair, a sharp voice telling her she could do better, and a soft voice reassuring her that she was not alone in the dark.

Tears flooded again from eyes that were already sore and tired, but she simply nodded at Xavier. "I need to go help Ellie, then," she said quietly. Xavier nodded at her, and the two transformed, running through the darkness back to the house. Catherine noticed he favored the front leg slightly where he'd been burned, but still easily kept pace with her.

The scene at the farmhouse was grim and chaotic; every Order member was there. Catherine could hear Sirius and Moody yelling at each other behind a closed door. Daisy was holding a wide-eyed and quiet Finn in the kitchen, his teddy bear clutched in his hands and looking worried and confused about why everyone was awake. Daisy's own face was stunned and tear-streaked. Catherine could only bring herself to squeeze her shoulder as she moved past her to quickly wash up at the kitchen sink. Molly Weasley came in carrying a tray of mugs. "Oh, there you are, dear. Ellie will be so relived. I've tried to help, but I'm so squeamish. You'd think with six quidditch players I'd be used to injuries, but my stomach doesn't seem to agree."

"I'll be right there, Molly," said Catherine, drying her hands and heading up the stairs. She passed Xander, trying to console a crying Ana. "Try walking her around outside," she said, patting his arm. "No need for Artemis to worry about her as well as Remus."

She followed the sound of stern voices, occasionally broken by painful cries. Peeking first into Jane's room, she saw the woman laid out on her bed, thrashing uncontrollably as Hawthorne and Hezekiah held her down, Ellie's wand flashing above her in precise movements.

"Catherine, thank goodness," Ellie said when she caught sight of her. "Oscar needs salve and bandages — the nasty green stuff. Watch the wounds by his eye and let me know if it they got the eyeball itself or if the socket seems broken. Artemis is handling Remus, but you can check with her when you've finished and see if she needs help."

Catherine nodded and turned to leave.

"And get Xavier to sit still long enough to tend that burn!" Ellie called after her. "Use the thick white cream."

Oscar was asleep on his bed, Ellie presumably having given him something to knock him out. Thankful that she could just focus on the wounds, and not have to try and speak with him about Mamá, Catherine set to work, cleaning the blood away and applying the smelly balm, wrapping some of the more gaping tears with thick bandages. The claw marks on his face had just missed the eye itself. Moving on to check with Artemis, she found Remus too had been given something to help him sleep. Gashes ran down his right arm, and his leg looked mangled. Artemis had cleaned up the blood and applied the salve, so Catherine helped her clean up the bloody clothes and bandages before saying she'd let Ellie know about his leg. That wound was going to need more than salve.

* * *

"You don't get to make unilateral decisions on what the missions are!" Sirius yelled, absolutely seething. "You waltz in here with some vague intel and expect everyone to jump. They weren't ready for this, and look what happened!"

"Bah!" huffed Moody. "What kind of intel do you expect me to have! I can't trust my own department, you know that! If these leads are going to be followed up on I need back up from people I can trust. You lot seem to be it."

"And you couldn't have sent one pair of eyes in first to confirm? Then at least they might not have been so outnumbered."

"We're at war! What do you expect to happen? That they'll throw a few spells, growl and chase off the enemy? I need fighters who know the score and can get in there and get the job done."

"We don't work for you!"

"And who do you work for? Albus is dead. Who do you expect to step in and lead? Kingsley and I have the experience and the connections. Lots of people out there still don't trust you and the rumors flying around about you and Severus Snape's girlfriend aren't helping the situation. You won't be able to get the information needed. Besides, what is this _we_ business? You're not one of them."

"Not one of whom, exactly?" asked Sirius in an icy tone.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, Black. You think you're some kind of honorary werewolf? Look, they agreed to come here and fight Voldemort. Call them whatever you want — volunteers or conscripts, but they knew what we wanted them for, and it's a bit late to start thinking maybe it's all too much."

There was a scrape of chair legs and a door slamming as Joshua got up and left the room. "I, uh, I really don't think casting blame is helping the situation," Arthur Weasley said, hoping to end the ping-pong of accusations between Sirius and Alastor.

Sirius let out a huff and slumped down in a chair. His eyes landed on Gareth, sitting across Kieran's newly constructed table, staring down at the dark-stained surface.

"It certainly isn't helping," Gareth said solemnly, finally looking up. "We did know what we signed up for, _Mamá_ better than most. The real question is are there any steps we can take to mitigate situations similar to what happened this evening? I think sending a scout ahead on missions is a reasonable idea. That way if we need backup, we can assemble it faster."

"Are you trying to run this like one of your board meetings, son?" Moody questioned in a gruff, condescending tone.

Tonks poked Moody in the ribs with her wand and muttered a quick, "Shh!"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am," replied Gareth stiffly. "You are correct, we no longer have a leader, and I for one am not comfortable letting any one or even two persons step into that vacancy. If it takes a group to run things effectively, that might be worth trying."

"Rubbish," Moody muttered under his breath.

"Isn't it your Alpha's place to speak on these matters?" asked Kingsley, pensively.

Gareth turned grieved and angry eyes to the man. "Kieran is out in the barn, building a coffin for my mother," he responded flatly.

"Then how do you anticipate that working — running things as a committee?" asked Kingsley. "We hardly have time to vote on whether we answer each and every call that might come up."

"Of course not, but we need to have protocols in place that are more thought out than just running out the door to chase down a Dark Mark!"

"Gareth…perhaps this isn't quite the best time to try and talk through a lot of changes," offered Arthur. "It's been a very traumatic night, and…"

"Do not think for a moment that I am anything but devastated and furious about what happened tonight," responded Gareth coldly. "But if you will look around, you will also notice that I am the only member of my family here. And I will be damned if I let any of you use us as fodder for Death Eaters! If this happened tonight with something routine, what's going to happen the night you try to move Harry?"

Kingsley let out a long sigh. "What do you suggest?"

"We've created a solid rotation of teams. The issue now is how to determine the terms of engagement that give us a greater advantage."

* * *

It was close to dawn before Ellie managed to counteract the spells that had hit Jane. She mended Remus' broken leg and then quietly snuck away to prepare Rosa's body for burial. She was shocked when Catherine entered the room a moment later.

"You don't have to do this, love," Ellie said softly.

"It's all right," Catherine answered. "She was my mother, I think…I think I need to be here."

Daisy and Isabel came in to the room next, Daisy holding Rosa's dress robes that she had just worn a week or so earlier at an embassy event. Daisy hung up the dress robes carefully, and quickly removed all the creases with a spell, as Isabel laid out the little bit of makeup they had with the silver combs Rosa sometimes wore in her hair.

With Ellie gently directing, they dressed her, fixing her hair and makeup. Catherine moved through the process on autopilot, barely registering what was happening. Daisy kept up a soft one-sided conversation, reminiscing. Isabel was silent, but for the continual sniffing as she tried strenuously to hold herself together. Then Ellie left them for a moment to say goodbye, and Isabel lost any semblance of self-control, sinking to the floor and weeping. Catherine immediately felt tears fill her eyes again as Daisy began singing the little folk song Rosa had sung to them as children.

 _Del cerro yo vengo con mi vicuñita  
_ _(I come down from the mountain with my little vicuña)_

 _Cantando y bailando para mi cholita  
_ _(Singing and dancing with my darling)_

 _Yo soy vicuñita y vengo de la Puna  
_ _(I am a little vicuña and I come from the high mountains)_

 _Vengo escapando de los cazadores  
_ _(I come, escaping from the hunters)_

 _Ay guei vicuñita rishpi japi sonka_  
 _(Oh my, the little vicuña lives life with all its heart)_

 _Rishpi japi pagapiña numa sonka_  
 _(Live life with all your heart)_

 _Malhaya la hora de ser vicuñita_  
 _(Being a little vicuña is such bad luck)_

 _Todos me persiguen por mi lana fina_  
 _(Everyone pursues me for my fine wool)_

The song was lighthearted and a little silly, but Rosa had sung it as she tucked them all into bed at night. Each time, she assured five abused and wounded children that they were not monsters, but her little vicuñas, dancing their way down the mountain to escape the wicked men. And now that she was there to take care of them, those hunters would never find them again.

And it had felt true for a long, long time. But now they had left the safety of their reservation, and the hunters had come and Catherine was wondering if any place would ever be safe again.

* * *

Xander and Xavier sat side by side outside watching the sun come up. Ana had long since fallen asleep, snuggled against Xander's chest as he absentmindedly rubbed her back.

"Hell of a night," Xander finally said, as the first golden rays broke over the horizon.

"Yeah."

"You all right?"

Xavier shrugged.

"You tell Cat?"

"I found her and told her Rosa was gone. I haven't told her what happened. I thought it might be too much."

Xander sighed, shifting Ana slightly in his arms. "You know it's not your fault, though, right?"

"Yeah." Xavier leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, but it doesn't stop your mind from going over it a dozen different ways trying to see if things could have been different. There were just too many of them, and I couldn't get close enough."

"Catherine will understand that."

"Maybe."

They were quiet for the next little while, the morning shaping up to be clear and beautiful as the sun fully unveiled itself. Xander looked down at the little girl asleep in his arms and then back over to his brother.

"You remember Mary Ann?"

Xavier huffed a small laugh. "Sure. Cheerleading consort to the Football King, Class of '79? Y'all were attached at the hip. I was never sure how you carried your books to class with your arm slung over her shoulder all the time."

"She married Greg Davis."

Xavier nodded. "Yep. It was the talk of the town. People were split on whether she'd thrown you over, or whether she was well rid of you." Xavier gave his brother a strange look. "You never seemed to care though, moved to Raleigh and started running with that crew that did the jewelry store robberies, right?"

Xander looked down at Ana and nodded. "They had a baby just after. Did you ever hear what happened to them?"

Xavier tried to think. "Mom talked about her a lot. Um, Greg became a cop. Kind of ironic. They bought the old Benson house and fixed it up, I think."

"Was the baby a boy or a girl?"

"Boy. You know, Mary Ann brought him by once. I think she'd been there talking to Mom for quite a while before I got home. Then she left right after. Mom said she'd been apologizing for not sticking by you, but since you didn't seem to have any intention of turning your life around she had to move on."

"Well, she was right about that," said Xander softly.

"What made you bring all that up? Pondering your misspent No-Maj life?"

"Yeah, kinda. Just thinking about Rosa. Wondering who would miss me like that if if had been me."

"I would, dummy," Xavier said, punching him lightly in the arm. "Everyone here would."

"Yeah," Xander breathed out, shifting in his chair again.

"I know it's been a long time, but if this is about Mary Ann, I think she did miss you. Why else bother to come talk to Mom and try to explain things? But it wasn't like she could try and keep in touch with a new husband and a kid, right?"

"My kid," Xander said in a low voice. "It was my kid. And I told her to forget about me, that Greg had always been sweet on her."

Xavier scrubbed his hand over his face. Of course. That was absolutely typical. Xander would have run as hard and fast as he could away from any hint of responsibility.

"You gonna say anything?" Xander muttered.

"I'm not supposed to use that kind of language anymore," responded Xavier dryly.

Xander chuckled. "I get it. I'm a screw up, always have been. I guess I was just thinking…if I don't make it, should I try to reach out to him? You know, Remus writes letters to Ana, just in case. Maybe I should send a letter."

Xavier was quiet, trying hard not punch his brother in the face while he was holding a baby. "I get that you want to make up for your mistakes, but… Just because it might make you feel better to reach out, that doesn't mean it will make him feel better. This boy's what — seventeen? Eighteen? Would you have wanted a letter from Dad at that age trying to justify why he wasn't around? No matter what you might try and say, the reality is that you chose everything else over him. I think you should let it alone. You want to make up for the choices you made earlier? Be a good man now. That's all any of us can do." Thoroughly annoyed, Xavier stood up and walked back to the house. With Jane laid up and Artemis looking after Remus, someone probably needed help in the kitchen. Sirius couldn't make coffee to save his life.

* * *

They buried Rosa just after breakfast. Rather than wear black in mourning, everyone dressed in vibrant colors to honor Rosa's Quechua heritage. Kieran had offered to fence in the large clearing up the hill from the house for the gravesite. No one said it out loud, but everyone was thinking the same thing — they might need space to bury more than one of them before this was over.

The kids had stuck close to Oscar's side for the rest of the day, concerned about how he was handling the sudden loss. He stayed very quiet for the majority of the time, but as evening approached he began to pour out story after story — how they met, how he'd proposed, the little bit of time they had traveling before they'd been infected and imprisoned, and how thrilled Rosa'd been to have children to care for. Ellie finally realized he was delaying the first night in over twenty-five years that he would go to bed without his wife. On the pretense of checking his wounds and reapplying bandages, she was able to get him to take another sleeping draught, and arranged with Kieran for him to be looked in on through the night.

Joshua and Gareth lay quietly in their dark room, both still wide awake as Hezekiah snored away. After the better part of an hour, Joshua threw off the covers in frustration, and grabbed up his pillow and blanket.

"You coming?" he asked softly.

Gareth didn't bother to answer, just got up as well and followed him out of the room.

Down the hall in the girls' room, they could make out the faint murmur of voices. Knocking once, they opened the door and found the girls had already shoved all three beds together and were curled up talking. It had been years since they'd all shared a room, but early on in their life together it was the only way any of them would sleep. It had been partly from necessity — that scarring, traumatic year during the first war in the basement of some manor house they'd only had one mattress to sleep on. And it was partly from the terror of being apart. As they'd slowly learned to reacclimatize to a more normal existence, the kids had spent the first three or four years on the reservation sleeping together in a heap. And it seemed fitting somehow to be together tonight.

Gareth enlarged the beds, filling up most of the room, and they reclaimed what had once been customary spots, the boys on either end with the girls in the middle. Garth always took the side closest to the door, ready to face whatever or whoever might come in first. This time, Daisy curled up in Joshua's arms, and Isabel would have teased them about it a little if she hadn't been so sad about why they were doing it in the first place. Isabel lay stretched out on her side, throat and eyes raw from grief, able to nudge Gareth's foot or reach for Catherine's hand if she needed to, just to reassure herself that they were there.

"I saw her," Daisy said out of the blue, so soft it was hard to hear her. "When she…when she died. I saw her standing beside her wolf. She smiled and waved at me, and then they turned and left. She was…content, I think. Her wolf came back, to stay with us. The wolf said she was safe, that Mamá was with the Creator now. It makes it a little better, doesn't it? Knowing that even if we leave here sooner than we'd like, that we'll go on to something else, and that we won't be alone?"

"It might make it better someday. But it doesn't make me feel better now," replied Gareth in a rough voice, clearly trying to stifle his tears.

"It's ok to feel bad," came Daisy's gentle voice again. "Grief is just love, squaring off against its oldest enemy."

* * *

** Author's Note: There is a sweet version of La Vicuñita on you tube by Magdalena Fleitas. The third verse is in Quechua, not Spanish, so the translation is the best I could find online, but if you know of a Peruvian who can translate it more accurately, let me know!


	62. Chapter 62

Chapter 62 ~ July, 1997

 _My darling Esperanza,_

 _Someday when you are old enough to understand everything I hope you will forgive me for waiting so long to marry your mother. As I've told you before, the possibly of having a wife and family of my own was something I'd given up on long ago. When I was around eight, I remember feeling lonely and frustrated, making an off hand comment to my own mother about how I would have more than one child, so that they would have a built-in playmate. Needless to say, the conversation that followed was both eye-opening and devastating. I share this, only so you will know how unbelievable it seemed to me that I should even find myself in the position of having to plan a marriage proposal. But here we are… and I must say it is long overdue._

 _I'm sure years from now when your mum tells you this story, she will focus on how I accidentally asked her in the kitchen without even having the ring on me. She delights in teasing, much like your Uncle Sirius, but know there were extenuating circumstances to that first proposal, the details of which are unimportant, and I was rather swept up in the moment. In hindsight I should have immediately fetched the ring and made it official, but I truly felt your mum deserved more. Everything about our relationship has been…unusual, and I wanted to take the time and effort to at least make the proposal more traditional._

 _You must realize of course, that between my accidental proposal and the official one a great many things changed in our world. An extremely dangerous rogue werewolf, named Fenrir Greyback is trying to recruit or capture some of the younger Americans that he turned in the last war, and has been hunting the other pack to try and find them. So we've all taken extra shifts to help keep an eye on the other pack and train them to fight back. And then Albus Dumbledore was killed. Some days I still can't quite believe that happened — greatest wizard in living history. One of the Order members betrayed and murdered him, and then your Aunt Lina decided to join up with him rather than come home. Your mother still insists she must be working undercover, but I find it hard to justify her actions. And then poor Rosa was killed in a fight with Death Eaters when she and a team responded to a Dark Mark that had been set over a Muggle village. Seeing her children try and cope with the loss of their mother, Oscar losing his wife…well it just brought home to me once again how dangerous our lives are. I hope that is not something you wind up resenting us for later. There is always the possibility that you may read these letters someday, and not have any memories of me in person. But I assure you we did not choose to fight Voldemort and his followers on a whim, and we do not leave on missions flippantly or carelessly. A British political theorist once said that, "Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing." Assuming you are in anyway like your mother or myself, you will understand that this is unacceptable. So we fight, and I hope this reasoning is sufficient to earn your forgiveness, should we fail._

 _And I must ask your forgiveness again for beginning this letter on such a solemn note; the heaviness of our calling weighs on my spirit most days. And yet my only intent for this letter was to tell you about one of the most joyful days of my life. Yesterday, 20 July 1997, was the day I officially asked your mother to marry me, and she said yes._

* * *

Really he shouldn't feel this nervous. He'd technically already asked her, and she'd said yes, but Remus couldn't control the tight feeling in his chest or the way his fingers kept tapping on any handy surface.

"Moony!"

He just wanted to do this one thing well. He'd let her leave the country without telling her he loved her, he completely lost his mind when she actually came back because he was afraid she'd fallen for someone else, and then…

"MOONY!"

"What?" Remus asked, startled out of his thoughts.

"Merlin, I've called you about four times," said Sirius, shaking his head. "Quit worrying about tonight. It's going to be glorious. Hermione just left. She and the girls finished hanging all the little globes with the bluebell flames in the trees."

"Good, that's brilliant," said Remus nodding.

"And the boys hung up the canopy thing. I had to stop Isabel from embellishing it. She kept insisting some beaded fringe would look fabulous. And Jane wants to know if the ganache on the cake is supposed to be a milk chocolate or a dark chocolate."

Remus stared at him blankly for a moment. "Oh, right, um…milk chocolate. Now Ellie's going to ask Artemis to come for a walk with her and Finn, so the rest of you can wait until they leave and then apparate over. You're going to bring the radio?"

Sirius grinned. "Absolutely. There's no way I'd miss whatever song is going to capture this moment."

"So…that's it then? We're ready. This is happening," Remus said, smiling shakily.

"This is happening," echoed Sirius, clapping Remus on the back. "And can I say, this is quite bold for you, my friend, having an audience for your marriage proposal. Prongs would approve."

"Well… they're her pack. They were there for her when I wasn't, and…it just seemed right."

Sirius smiled, "I'm pretty sure they're our pack now too."

* * *

Remus and Sirius had darted out of the kitchen after dinner, claiming they had some mission rotations to look over. Artemis pulled Ana from her wooden high chair, cleaning away the mess of mashed bananas with a flick of her wand. "Jane, do you need help cleaning up?" she asked, slinging Ana onto her hip as the little girl pulled at her hair.

"Nope. Josh and Gareth are on kitchen duty tonight," said Jane, waving off the boys' groans. "Keep complaining and you'll forfeit breakfast tomorrow," she warned teasingly.

"Artemis, why don't you run up and change clothes? How about the blue sundress with the sunflowers on it?" Ellie asked.

Artemis looked over at her, taking in Ellie's peach colored dress. "I thought we were taking the kids for a walk?" she asked, her eyes clearly confused. "Why are you dressed up?"

"I thought we'd dress the kids up too and take pictures back beyond the small barn where all those lovely crab apple trees are. Just before sunset is the best time. Maybe we can take a really nice photo of you and Ana, and Sirius can make a portrait of it for Remus for Christmas."

"Oh!" Artemis smiled, her face lighting up. "That's a terrific idea! I'll go change. Ana has this adorable little dress with a white pinafore that would be so sweet…" her voice trailed off as she disappeared up the stairs.

"This is so exciting!" whispered Isabel after Artemis had left.

"Yeah, the rest of y'all are sure gonna have a lot to live up to," snorted Xander. "Fanciest proposal I ever heard of."

There was an embarrassed silence as faintly worried glances were quickly exchanged between the other men. "You do not think you will ever need to plan something like this?" Oscar asked him curiously.

"Heck no," Xander laughed. "I'm not exactly the marrying kind."

"What kind are you then?" Oscar asked, looking amused by his attitude.

"The I-don't-mind-pushing-other-people-into-it, but I'm-staying-far-away-from-it-myself kind."

"Well, as long as it's the right person asking, I don't think it needs to be fancy," said Catherine softly. She met Xavier's eyes and looked away quickly, her cheeks pinker than usual.

"No, it doesn't need to be fancy, but a little effort would be nice," said Isabel matter-of-factly.

"I agree," said Jane. "If you're worth asking, then you're worth putting a little effort into it."

"And why should the effort all fall on the man's shoulders?" asked Hawthorne indignantly, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Are we not worth a little effort as well?"

"It really is terribly unfair," agreed Gareth, smirking. "We're expected to make the first move, put ourselves out there and risk rejection over and over again."

"Oh come off it," said Isabel, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Up until a few months ago you would have had a girl simply handed to you with absolutely no work on your part just by virtue of being male, so don't come whining to me about how hard it is to get a date. And Papá told me the girls at the embassy dinners practically threw themselves at you."

Gareth winced. "Yeah. That has more to do with the family name than my personal charms."

"Well, cheer up. Maybe you can meet somebody at Bill and Fleur's wedding that's never heard of Rodriguez Silver," offered Daisy.

"But I'd still be in the position of having to ask her out," he complained.

"True, but you're a little too controlling to really be comfortable with a woman making the first move," said Joshua dryly. And the room burst into laughter, Gareth acknowledging the jab sheepishly.

"It feels funny to think Mamá won't be there when we get married," said Daisy, and the room was immediately quiet. "I mean…she always would make little comments about the flowers we might choose or how we should wear our hair. And now she won't be there to see any of that."

"Is it always going to hurt this much?" Catherine asked in a choked voice. "Talking about her and remembering things?"

"It may always sting," said Xavier quietly, reaching for her hand. "You don't ever really get over losing somebody. But as you live and experience other moments of joy and love, I think eventually the grief is a little blurred in the midst of those experiences."

"And she will be with you through us, _mi hija_ ," added Oscar softly.

"Come on people, let's go!" Sirius cried, bursting into the room. "Ellie and Artemis just left. It's showtime!"

* * *

There are times when magic can finesse a moment unlike anything else on earth. With concealment charms strategically placed in the small grove of trees, Artemis had no idea what she was walking into. Glass balls of various sizes floated around the trees, each flickering with Hermione's special bluebell flames. Picnic tables covered in white tablecloths were decorated with flowers and candles, where Jane set out the chocolate cake with raspberries, pots of tea and coffee charmed to stay hot, and bottles of chilled champagne. The pack watched from behind an invisibility shield and silencing charm as the women approached, Ellie making a great show of posing Artemis on a picnic blanket with Ana beside her and snapping her picture.

"Artemis," Ellie asked with a wicked little smile, glancing briefly at the empty space where she knew everyone was waiting, "what made you fall in love with Remus?"

From behind the silent barrier, Isabel giggled at Remus' stricken face. This was not part of the plan.

"Oh, well, it was lots of things I guess," said Artemis, blushing a little. "He's very clever, and thoughtful. But he's got this wonderfully dry sense of humor too. And I think he's quite handsome."

The radio sputtered to life within the charmed grove.

 _There's a somebody I'm longing to see_

 _I hope that he turns out to be_

 _Someone to watch over over me_

"But don't you ever feel like he's almost too deep? I mean, he seems to feel everything very keenly, but not be that quick to share things." Ellie focused the camera to capture a close up of Artemis leaning in to fuss with Ana's hair.

"Well, I think we sort of complement each other in that respect. I push and pull him out of his shell a bit, and he sort of steadies me."

" _Azoy zis_!" whispered Jane (So sweet!), as Hawthorne stepped closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Mmmm," hummed Ellie. "He's awfully stern sometimes. It's funny how he and Sirius are such good friends. Sirius is so lighthearted most of the time. You two honestly seem more alike to me."

Artemis gave Ellie a funny look. "Why are you going on about all this? Sirius is great. He stepped in and became a brother to me when I really needed one. He's like a favorite old t-shirt you know will always be there and always fit and feel the same way."

Sirius couldn't not smile at her, even as he made a face at the description, while the others laughed.

"And what's Remus like?"

"Oh, well…" Artemis blushed again and Sirius elbowed Remus in the ribs. "He's…I think he's like silky pajamas."

Remus' own face turned red at the description, and he dearly hoped the silencing charm was strong enough for the riotous laughter that was happening around him. The radio grew louder for a moment as the song switched.

 _Fish gotta swim and birds gotta fly_

 _I gotta love one man till I die_

 _Can't help loving that man of mine_

"What do you mean, silky pajamas?" Ellie asked, trying to stifle her own laughter.

"I mean…they're comfortable and feel lovely against your skin, but they're not…they're not ordinary. They're special, and they make you feel special, like you're worth more than plain old cotton."

"Oh wow is that romantic!" murmured Isabel delightedly.

"Padfoot, I'm begging you…please put me out of my misery," groaned Remus.

Chuckling, Sirius took down all the barriers, taking great joy in seeing Artemis' shocked face as she turned towards the sound of the music.

"What is going on?" she asked, her voice rising to squeak. "Did…did all of you hear that?!"

"Oh, my darling little Kitten," cooed Sirius, taking Ana from her. "We heard absolutely everything…I'm buying you both matching silk pajamas for Christmas."

"Why are all of you here?" she asked, finally able to see the glowing lights in the trees and the lovely table settings peeking out from behind the group.

Amid a few shushes and giggles, the Americans all stepped back and pushed Remus out in front of them.

"Remus?"

"I…uh…I wanted to…" Remus cleared his throat and began again, his heart racing. "I wanted to do this properly."

Remus dropped to one knee and Artemis' eyes widened as she realized what was happening, a brilliant smile breaking across her face.

"You have changed my life in ways I could never have foreseen. At first, I quite frankly found that terrifying. But I don't want to imagine going through any part of the rest of my life without you. You've given me a daughter, and a family, and hope in the midst of such darkness," here he paused and took a deep breath, "and I would be immeasurably grateful if you would agree to be my wife."

Even though part of her knew that this moment would come, Artemis was unprepared for the wave of emotion breaking over her. Tears pricked at her eyes as laughter bubbled up in her chest a little hysterically. She looked around at all the dear faces of her unusual and wonderful family, her pack, watching the scene with joy and tenderness. "This is…this is so lovely. All of you…you were all in on this?" she asked, smiling at them all.

"Um, yes, but…I think Remus is still waiting for an answer," Kieran said, his deep voice amused.

"Oh! Sorry! Yes, of course! Yes!" Artemis cried, flinging herself at Remus, and knocking him back onto the ground from where he'd been kneeling. Remus laughed, mostly in relief, as he pulled her close, pushing her hair back from her face and kissing her soundly. Sirius cheered loudly as a round of applause burst from the Americans.

 _L is for the way you look at me_

 _O is for the only one I see_

 _V is very, very extraordinary_

 _E is even more than anyone that you adore_

Artemis cupped her hands around Remus' face, pulling back from the kiss to stare wonderingly into his eyes. "This is real?" she whispered. "We really made it to this point?"

"We did," he answered, his voice husky, eyes taking in her flushed cheeks and bright eyes. "I feel like I should say thank you for being so patient."

"I'd always planned to come back to you, no matter how many other werewolves I met or how many prison sentences I had to serve. I left my heart with you, and it wasn't ever going to come back to me on its own."

There was a faint yelp nearby, as Sirius pulled his hand away from Ana's mouth. "You didn't tell me that tooth broke through! Merlin, those things are sharp!"

Laughing, Artemis reluctantly moved from Remus' lap, and they walked, hand in hand, the few steps to the tables that had been set up. Jane sliced and served the cake while Hawthorne distributed cups of tea and coffee, and Sirius passed around the glasses of champagne.

"A toast to Moony and Kitten," he announced, holding aloft his glass. "It seemed impossible, but I finally got them together!" Glasses clinked amid laughter as everyone sipped their champagne.

"Let's see the ring!" Isabel called.

"Oh, erm, I haven't put it on yet," Remus mumbled, opening his hand that had gripped the ring tightly when Artemis knocked him over. Giggling, she held out her left hand expectantly, and Remus slipped the ring onto her finger.

She felt the ring shift as it sized itself to her hand, and studied the design in amazement; a white gold channel held various shades of blue gemstones. "What…what are these? How did you find a ring like this?"

"The band was actually my grandmother's. Then my mother wore it. I had the diamonds removed and exchanged them for a mix of blue diamonds, sapphires, aquamarines, and blue topaz. There…there wasn't just one stone that matched your eyes."

"Oh, Remus, that is so —"

"Crazy romantic!" called Isabel at the same moment Gareth said, "A little ridiculous…"

"It's both," Artemis whispered. "Why on earth did you agree to have an audience here for this?"

Remus laughed, pulling her back into his arms. "They're our pack. And neither one of us would be here without them."

* * *

 _Ana, someday when I look back at this time I wonder if all I will remember is the war. So writing all this may perhaps help me remember, as much as it is to enlighten you. I still struggle with being completely open and trusting. But your mother, and our strange patchwork family has done a great deal to help me. The wolf warriors say that faith is being sure of what you hope for, and convinced of things you can't always see. So I'm choosing to have faith that we will be victorious, and that you will have the opportunity to grow into a strong woman, in a country less entangled by prejudice and hatred. But even if we are unsuccessful, know that there can be light and love in the midst of darkness. You are privileged to be growing up in a family of survivors, of fighters, of ones who have faced the darkness head on and chose to follow the light because we know who created it and fights with us. Always choose light, my love._

 _Forever your devoted dad,_

 _R. J. Lupin_

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! New Guest, thank you for your very kind review! I'm so glad you are enjoying my crazy mind as much as I do. :)


	63. Chapter 63

Chapter 63 ~ July, 1997

"Sirius, I don't have anymore I can tell you," Remus sighed, tapping his quill against a stack of parchment. "The only artifact associated with Rowena Ravenclaw is a diadem. But no one has seen it for centuries. And we're only assuming that's one of the horcruxes. Voldemort could just as easily have chosen something personal to him that we can't know about." He and Sirius had met up early for a brief council of war as Artemis prepared breakfast. Ana kicked and rolled around on a blanket, chewing her little stuffed wolf, as Sirius paced around her. Harry had informed them of the horcruxes, as well as Ron and Hermione, but asked them to tell no one else.

Shifting uncomfortably in his chair, Remus massaged his wounded leg. Werewolf injuries were notoriously difficult to heal, even with magic, and Ellie and hemmed and hawed a bit about how long it might take for his leg to fully mend from the run-in with Greyback. He'd practiced quite a bit to be able to get down on one knee for the proposal without looking like an old man, and Artemis' exuberant reaction, while adorable, hadn't really done his leg any favors.

"Since we have one of the horcruxes here, let's focus on that," suggested Artemis, pausing to flip a pancake. "What have you found that can destroy them?"

Remus gave a sardonic chuckle. "Fiendfyre, which is too dangerous to use, and according to Harry, basilisk venom, but he killed the basilisk four years ago, so that's out too. Every spell we've tried so far has been unsuccessful."

"We can't even get the thing to open," muttered Sirius.

Artemis pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Well, maybe Harry will have some ideas when he gets here."

Remus shot Sirius a look, and Sirius rolled his eyes, his expression equal parts irritated and guilty. "Harry's not coming here," he finally said. "He's going to stay at the Burrow."

"Oh," she said softly, setting the last pancakes aside and starting on the eggs. "Is he still angry about what happened at the school the night Albus died?"

"He has a point," began Remus, "Sirius could just admit it's possible that Lina did choose Snape. Or at the very least that she could be under an Imperius curse."

Sirius began to shake his head warningly at Remus as Artemis stiffened, her teeth clenched together. "I have known Lina for almost ten years," she began… as Sirius quickly added, "You didn't see her face that night!"

Remus sighed. "Artemis, I know she's your friend, but Sirius, I shouldn't have to remind you, of all people, that friends can get into situations way over their head and wind up doing things you never could have foreseen. But I won't bring it up again. Suffice it to say that we won't be sitting down to talk with Harry about this at least until after the wedding."

"Speaking of Harry, are you absolutely certain you're going to be ok flying with the Order on Saturday?" Artemis asked, changing the subject.

"I'm sure I will. My leg isn't quite up to snuff yet, but that won't matter for flying." Remus replied.

"It matters for landing," Artemis muttered under her breath, and Remus made a face at her.

* * *

Despite all the open windows, the house at Spinner's End seemed to repel any fresh breezes, and the heat was making Lina very irritable. Severus seemed impervious to any of it, and she wondered if maybe he had finally turned into a cold-blooded reptile after so many years in the dungeons.

"The Dark Lord has offered me the position of Headmaster at Hogwarts," Severus announced unexpectedly. "When the Ministry finally falls, of course. And I would be willing to offer you the Defense Against the Dark Arts post if you are interested…Well, it would actually entail teaching the Dark Arts, not defending oneself from them."

"What sort of play are you running here?" Lina finally snapped. "Are we really going to sit around pretending to believe all of this Death Eater tripe and discussing what our roles will be in the new world order?"

Severus blinked at her in surprise, and then gave a long-suffering kind of sigh. She was much more open around him lately, and he couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a dangerous thing. "Don't do that," Lina warned, her voice cold. "Don't you dare treat me like I just asked you a first year question."

"You seem to forget that I actually joined the Dark Lord of my own free will. Perhaps I am still not entirely convinced that their aims are ill-conceived. Don't be too quick to cast me in another role."

Lina snorted. "My blood status and my hair color say different," she said, pacing around the room agitatedly. "The Order didn't have a plan in place to move Harry before I left. Did you just invent that information, or do they really have a plan?"

Severus hesitated. "The date I gave Voldemort was accurate."

One dainty eyebrow arched upwards. "Reason?"

Tenting his fingers together, Snape glared at the younger witch across from him. He may have had to open his home to her and participate in this silly romantic farce, but by Salazar, he refused to be subjected to some form of interrogation by a former student. But the longer he glared at her the more he could see that she was less angry than worried, and he felt his own anger abate.

"It was Dumbledore's idea," he said slowly, relaxing his posture. "I stuck my neck out bringing you in, and I needed to give them something to solidify my veracity."

"Well, just giving them Potter will certainly do that," she muttered.

"I'm hardly 'just giving them Potter,'" he responded, rolling his eyes. "What I didn't reveal was that the Order would be using decoys, for both the boy and their safe houses. Whoever is involved in moving him on Saturday will at least have a fighting chance. I confounded one of the Order members and planted the idea in his head. Multiple Potters to chase is something the Dark Lord will not expect…And you'll have to be there. As a way to prove your loyalty," he finished in a quiet voice.

Lina nodded stiffly, her thoughts clearly far away at the moment.

"Since we're being so free and open with our information," Severus continued, watching her carefully, "what exactly is your role in all this?"

Lina sank down on to the small sofa. "I'm…looking for something," she said slowly, "an artifact."

"What sort of an artifact?" Severus asked.

"What do you know about horcruxes?"

For a moment Severus wondered if there would ever come a time when this witch failed to surprise him. And then his mind quickly connected the puzzle pieces that Dumbledore had always refused to share; this explained his frequent absences, his meetings with Harry, his cryptic words about the snake, and the horrifying idea that a piece of Voldemort was attached to Harry's soul. "A horcrux is very dark magic that allows you to split your soul into…"

"I know what a horcurx is! What do you know about the ones Voldemort created!" she interrupted.

Severus narrowed his eyes at her. "I have my suspicions about the snake. What were you told to look for?"

"Helga Hufflepuff's cup and Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem. Dumbledore thought they might be hidden somewhere in the castle that he hadn't discovered yet. That's why he hired me."

"Why are you telling me all this now?" he practically whispered.

"Dumbledore swore me to secrecy before. But he's dead. And I think it makes more sense to pool our resources."

"He swore you to secrecy…" Severus murmured, immense anger towards Dumbledore rising up in him. That man was happy to smother people to death in secrets. "If you take the job at Hogwarts you would have time to continue searching. And I think it would be…safer for you."

Lina studied him curiously, as though she weren't quite sure what to make of his last statement. "I'll have to think through all that, and I can't do it now, I have a headache. Go change clothes," Lina suddenly ordered.

The surprised expression on his face was almost comical. "I beg your pardon?"

"I am hot, and frustrated, and fed up with being stuck inside this house. The least you can do is go out and buy me a drink."

Severus raised his eyebrows. "And why should I change clothes for that?"

"So you look more like a Muggle and less like someone channeling Bella Lugosi. And you'll want to be as comfortable as possible for what happens after drinks."

"And why might that be?" he asked warily.

"We're going hunting."

Several hours later, Severus was leaning unenthusiastically against the doorframe of the police station. Lina's hunting was her idea of stress relief. They went into a bar, she hit on a likely looking Muggle, and Severus read their mind. If the man had at any point in his life assaulted an unsuspecting woman, hurt a child, or tormented an animal, the memories were fished out of the depths. Then Lina would march up to the nearest copper, dragging the man behind her. A few carefully worded spells and there would suddenly be enough evidence to lock said Muggle away for a good while. By the fifth police station, Severus was hot, annoyed by the Muggle clothing she'd forced him into, and considering casting an Obliviate on himself to get rid of all the sick memories he'd had to wade through. And only one of the bars had had a really decent cabernet. But he had to admit, he understood her drive to do something in light of the fact that there were so few things she could do in her current situation to fight the evil growing around them.

* * *

The workroom at Weasley Wizard Wheezes smelt of lemon drops and smoke, and something a little peppery. It was hot today, for London at least, and Isabel wiped her hand across her forehead, making a face. She stepped back from the workbench and took a minute to pull her hair back in a high ponytail.

"How's the trombone coming?" she asked.

George Weasley slid out from underneath a wooden structure that once upon a time might have been an old circus calliope. Isabel looked down at him and smiled. His hair was sticking up all over and he had some kind of grease smeared on his cheek.

"Almost got it!" he grinned up at her before sliding back under the strange instrument. "I just need to make sure all these dampers open properly," he went on, voice slightly muffled.

"I really appreciate you helping me with this…well, more than helping. It's your invention. It wouldn't have happened without you," Isabel said, turning back to the work bench and picking up her wand.

"My pleasure," came the muffled voice. "I enjoyed all the research — trying to figure out how to capture the sound in different containers and still have it be usable. It was fun."

"Your mother said you two never worked as hard at the others at school. If you like doing research and stuff, why didn't you like school?"

"Ah, well, that was because of Fred. I liked school well enough."

"What do you mean, because of Fred? Did he keep you too distracted to do your work?"

A laugh came out from under the instrument. "Not exactly. It was just something we worked out a long time ago. Fred has a hard time with reading and getting his thoughts all out on paper. I can help him some, but I couldn't take his exams for him, not when we were supposed to be in the same room. Plus there's always anti-cheating spells."

Isabel frowned, not quite sure she was understanding. "So…you intentionally didn't try hard, so you wouldn't show up your brother?"

There was a pause, and then George slid out again from underneath the wooden structure. "We figured out pretty early on that we were always going to get compared to our brothers. But getting compared to each other? One struggling while the other succeeded? That would have been torture. Like I said, we're a package deal. I couldn't leave him behind."

Isabel nodded. "That's…that's really kind. I'm not sure how sensible it is, but it's kind."

George laughed again. "Depends on your priorities. What good would it have done me to do better at school? This," he said, waving his arm around at the shop, "this is all I've ever wanted. Me and Fred, having fun and making money doing it. He's dead creative, and I can do the work to make it happen."

Isabel dropped down to sit on the floor beside him. "I don't think I've ever met anyone who's gotten all they ever wanted," she said curiously, studying him as though he were some strange specimen. "Sometimes I feel like I might burst because the world is so big, and I just want to try _everything_."

George sat up and looked at her. "I used to think like that," he said honestly. "I used to be really sure that if I had enough money and was wildly successful, then I'd be content, because money solves so many problems, doesn't it? But then…well, we were wildly successful, and the money started coming in, and it was great for a while. We could buy the clothes we wanted and the stuff we wanted and take weekend holidays in Ibiza. But at the end of the day, it was more fun just staying here and creating stuff."

"Maybe you were taking the wrong person on holiday," countered Isabel, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"Are you fishing for an invitation?" George asked, grinning suggestively.

Isabel was brought up short for a moment. She hadn't really been trying to do that. The words had just flown out, as she pictured George and Fred on a beach still talking about the next WWW product and completely ignoring the amazing scenery around them. But never one to back down from a challenge, Isabel grinned right back at him. "I'm fairly confident I could make any holiday unforgettable."

George's eyes went wide and he blushed tomato red. "We'll, uh, have to look into that, then…sometime, then…maybe?"

Isabel felt a little contrite at his reaction. "Sorry, I shouldn't tease," she said, wrinkling up her nose. "Mamá would kill me if she knew I said something like that…" her voice trailed off and she frowned suddenly. "I…I forgot," she said, voice laced with wonder and sadness. "I forgot she wasn't here anymore." Scooting back to sit against the wall and pulling her knees up to her chest, Isabel blinked hard against the rush of prickly tears, her sweat dampened skin suddenly chilled.

George slid over to sit beside her, unsure of what to say. After a few moments, Isabel sniffed. "I think the wedding's going to be great," she said, completely changing the subject.

"Yeah," said George. "Great." After a few more moments of silence, he looked over at her. "Isabel, you can talk about her, you know. It might be hard, and it might be sad, but...I don't mind if you need to cry."

"I just wish our last conversation had been different," Isabel finally whispered. "I wish it hadn't been her telling me one more time that I had a quick mind, but I needed to focus on slowing down my mouth."

"Well, mums are like that," said George philosophically. "I'm pretty sure the last words my mum will ever say to me will include exasperation over something we've invented…or calling me Fred. I know she's secretly a little proud, but everything we do is so far out of the bounds of what she considers proper, she just can't find the words to express it without going back on years of parenting. I'm sure your mum was proud of you too."

"I hope she was. Well, she did say it was clever that I figured out first we can still have children. That's a pretty big deal for werewolves."

"Oh," said George, momentarily at a loss for words. "I didn't know that was a thing."

"Yeah," Isabel sighed. "Because of the transformations. A baby…you know… couldn't survive..." her voice trailed off.

"Oh," said George again, unconsciously frowning. It felt just like the moment over the game of Gobstones. Whatever he said was going to be somehow decisive for her. "So…you thought you wouldn't ever be able to have kids?"

"Mmm-hmm."

George was taken aback. He was only nineteen, and sure hadn't spent a great deal of time thinking too much about that particular subject. Growing up in the Weasley house, babies just sort of appeared on a regular basis without too much effort or planning.

George cleared his throat uncertainly. "So is it, um, important to you? Having kids? I mean, now that you can…"

"I don't know," Isabel replied, sounding surprised with her own answer. "I think it's really important to Cat. That's why I was so excited when I figured it out. But I think...I'm not ready to think about that stuff yet, for me anyway."

George nodded. He'd vaguely assumed some far off day he would have a few red-heads of his own running around a house in the country somewhere. Or maybe blondes, he thought suddenly, looking down at the girl next to him. And a strange warmth spread over his chest at the knowledge that that vague future was a possibility for her as well.

"Thank you," Isabel said, startling George off the rabbit trail his thoughts had taken.

"For what?" he asked, smiling confusedly at her.

She sniffed and wiped away her tears. "People don't usually ask me what I think," she said. "Maybe that's why I just say whatever's off the top of my head, so at least I get to say something. Otherwise I'd wind up like Catherine, and no one would ever know what I was really thinking!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.

George laughed. "Well then, I promise to try and always remember to ask you what you think."

Isabel leaned over placed a quick, tentative kiss on his cheek. "You know, you might think you're part of a package deal, George Weasley, but I happen to think you're one of a kind."

* * *

Alastor Moody stumped up to the Burrow grumbling under his breath. Not a whiff of Mundungus Fletcher anywhere. It was time to move Harry and one of their decoys had vanished. He supposed he should have expected it. The man was a coward, plain and simple, no matter how much he disagreed with the Death Eaters. It had been foolish to allow him access to the Order.

"Slight kink in the plan," he announced gruffly as he entered the house. "Mundungus has flown the coop, so we're a decoy short."

All the Order members were there, waiting to be sent out. The werewolves would be paired off and used as extra guards at the safe houses. Alastor's blue eye whirled crazily around, pinning each American in turn. "Now who else can fly?"

"I can!" called Ginny Weasley, only to be immediately silenced by her mother. She jerked her arm away from Molly with a glare, but didn't push the point.

Moody afforded her a rare half-smile. "Not of age, Missy. Though you've got more guts than half the Aurors I work with, I'll grant you."

Hezekiah stepped forward with a hint of swagger. "Former Chaser for the Southwest Spitfires, at your service."

Moody nodded his approval. "Right then, every team will take off and head for a different safe house. The portkeys are set. You lot had better come back with the portkeys even if the flyers haven't arrived yet," he added, looking around at the werewolves. They nodded, and prepared to leave.

Remus, who had been strongly advised by Ellie not to fly, (her words including something along the lines of men being too stubborn for their own good) was reluctantly acting as an extra guard at the Burrow, waiting with Molly, Ginny, and Hermione. Artemis grabbed his hand as the all prepared to leave for Little Whinging, and pulled him off to the side.

"You're kind of cute when you pout" she whispered.

"I'm not pouting," he replied, his voice held a slight edge to it, which he hadn't really intended.

"Oh no? Look, I get that you want to help, but that guy almost ripped your leg off. It isn't strong enough yet to grip a broom, and fight, and worry about an extra passenger, and worry about landing. Plus it's my turn to take a mission. You agreed to alternate."

His brow was furrowed, and she could see a hint of fear in his soft blue eyes. Stepping close to him, she placed her hand on his cheek, and he leaned into her. "I'm a fighter, Remus. You know that. Isn't that part of what you love about me?"

"No," he said honestly, smiling a little at her surprised expression. "I appreciate that you can hold your own in a fight. What I love is that you fight because you care about people. But it's hard to know you're somewhere, just out of sight, possibly fighting for your life, and I can't do anything about it."

She stepped closer and let his arms embrace her, nuzzling into his neck. "You need to remember that I will be doing the same thing each of us does when we go out…fighting like hell to come home."

Remus sighed, and ran his fingers through the black strands of hair framing her face. "I know," he said quietly. "Listen, try to stick with Sirius. There's no way he'd show his face to me again without bringing you home."

Artemis nodded. "Deal. How very couple-y of us, learning to compro—" Anything else she'd been planning to say was lost as Remus kissed her, and by the time he was finished she was at a bit of a loss as to what they'd even been talking about.

He may have smirked a little at the dazed expression on her face, but was completely solemn a moment later. "Go on, get out of here," he whispered, smacking her lightly on the bottom.

* * *

It had been years since Artemis had used Polyjuice Potion, and she decided she would be very happy if it were years before she needed to do it again. The taste was awful, no question, but the worst part was feeling so out of sync with your own body. Wand movements she'd practiced for almost two decades felt foreign and sluggish, and her hips and shoulders weren't balanced the way she was used to them being.

"All right, Kitten?" asked Sirius cheerfully, as she changed quickly into different clothes. "Not quite sure it's Harry's style, but I always did like that red lingerie set." Ron and his brothers snickered as Harry looked on, mortified.

"I'll be sure to get you your very own set for Christmas," Artemis responded cheekily in Harry's accent, winking one of her now vivid green eyes behind a pair of spectacles. "I would have chosen something different if I'd known I was going to be in a fashion show."

Tonks giggled as Hezekiah mounted the broom behind her and whispered something in her ear. Ron looked less than thrilled to ride with Mad-Eye, but gamely climbed on anyway. Fred and Arthur were beside them on a broom, and George clambered onto a thestral with Kingsley, looking just a little bit excited to try and ride the horse-like creature. It turned it's skeletal face and clicked it's dragon-like beak gently, as though encouraging his riders to get moving.

They kicked off and sailed effortlessly through the night sky. Artemis wasn't sure later if she saw the cloaked figures first or the green light that sailed past her head. She barely had time to fire off a spell of her own before she was grabbing onto Sirius for dear life as he dove down and cut around to the right. A dark figure approached them, and she had the strangest impression that a large trash bag was fluttering through the air. But as it got closer she could make out a pale face and an outstretched hand.

It's a funny thing how the mind speeds up as time itself seems to slow down. The amazing thought that Voldemort could fly without a broom crossed her mind, followed by the desperate wish to transform and bite his hand off. She'd even gone as far as judging the leap between her broom and the dark shape before deciding that was a decision Remus would never forgive. And amid all those thoughts, another part of her brain was flourishing her wand as her voice yelled curses and hexes of its own volition. She threw a spell that caused gills to sprout along a Death Eater's neck, watching as he clawed ineffectively at them, no longer able to breathe. Two spells missed their target, before she was able to set another Death Eater on fire. The next time she could pull herself together enough to look around, Voldemort was gone.

Sirius was darting expertly in and out among the other fighters. Artemis wasn't sure he was aware of it, but his spirit was definitely channeling Padfoot at the moment, creating distractions like an overexcited puppy. Pushing away any worries about how her skills might be affected in this strange body, Artemis threw herself into the fight, attempting to cast shields where she could in between flinging curses at the hooded figures. With one arm still wrapped around Sirius' waist, she felt him yell something, and looked over his shoulder to see a Death Eater pull up sharply in front of them. The hood fell back, revealing a red-headed witch. Lina stared at them wide-eyed for a split second, before diving under them on her broom.

Artemis heard Sirius swear and he spun the broom so quickly, that she felt herself begin to slide sideways. A forceful push moved her back into position, and she looked behind her, confused as to where that sensation had come from. She blinked as Sirius began to quickly climb higher, chilled air rushing into her face. Doubting her own sanity for a moment, Artemis swung her leg over and turned around to face the back of the broom, staring down at the two Death Eaters that were still on their tail. She ducked the green killing curse that flew towards her and then hit the closest one square in the chest with a jet of purple. He let out a piercing scream as he tumbled from his broom, disappearing into the darkness below. The second Death Eater pulled up and bizarrely nodded to her before turning and diving away to their left.

From this height, the fight seemed to be easing up. Hagrid and the motorcycle were nowhere to be seen. Artemis could make out one version of Harry now alone on a broom, but she couldn't tell who his escort should have been. Bill and Fleur on the thestral wheeled around and flew off to the north, Fleur effortlessly dueling the Death Eater that tried to follow them. Artemis' heart jumped into her throat as she saw one of the Death Eaters closing in on Kingsley.

"Sirius!" she screamed, tugging at his sleeve to get him to turn around, shooting a spell and missing. She could only watch as the Death Eater raised his wand. Suddenly a different spell shot by her, past the Death Eater's outstretched arm and hit the side of Harry's head. Not Harry, Artemis corrected her swirling brain, one of the twins. He slumped sideways, and the thestral bucked as Kingsley tried to hold on to the boy and veer west, away from the battle. In the few seconds that took, Sirius had swung his broom around and dived downward, swooping between a cloaked figure and the lone Harry.

As she flung up a shield between them, two thoughts flashed simultaneously through her head — that the pair of them were actually doing quite well, and that Sirius hadn't been firing off any spells at all, not since they'd seen Lina. The lone Harry sped off into the night, and Artemis felt Sirius slow down to a hover. As she looked around, Artemis saw they were the only two left. She pushed impatiently at the wisps of hair falling in her face, vaguely recognizing her Polyjuice Potion had worn off, then swung back around on the broom and looked over Sirius' shoulder at the two remaining Death Eaters that faced them. They all just hung there, suspended in both time and space.

"What are you doing?" she hissed in his ear.

"Give me a reason not to kill both of you," Sirius called, his tone dark and angry.

"Besides the obvious? That you would be dead before you managed it?" replied a cold, silky voice.

"Oh, for the love of Merlin! Severus, can you try not to antagonize each other for just one second!" Artemis yelled in frustration. "What is going on?!"

A familiar short laugh escaped the second hooded figure. "Priorities, Lionne," she called.

"Renarde," Artemis replied warningly. "You'd better be sure you can come back from this or I'm naming someone else Ana's godmother."

"Noted," Lina's voice sighed from under the hood. "I'm doing my best."

"Your best at what?" asked Sirius in a clipped tone. "What is it that you're doing, exactly?"

"I hardly need answer to _you,_ Black," Snape sneered.

"Oh, stop being so juvenile. We're the Trojan Horse," Lina said. "We can change things on the inside that you have no idea are happening."

Artemis sighed, the adrenaline of the fight draining from her body and exhaustion taking over. "That's what I figured. Just…be careful."

The two Death Eaters turned to leave. "Wait!" called Sirius after them. They turned back, waiting silently. "Severus, look out for her…please? And Lina…I…when you…" his voice trailed off helplessly.

"I'll find you," Lina said, her voice thick with emotion. The pair then flew off into the night, almost immediately swallowed by the darkness.

Sirius turned to look at Artemis over his shoulder. "You realize that no one but us will believe they're on our side?"

"Yeah," Artemis sighed, resting her cheek against his back as she hugged him. "Yeah, I know."

* * *

Knowing they'd already missed the portkey that had been set up at Grimmauld Place, Sirius and Artemis flew directly to the Burrow, landing in the yard full of people.

"Where's Harry?" Sirius asked, as soon as his feet hit the ground.

Remus held him off with his wand. "Which one of us was the first to discover that she was an animagus?" he asked, nodding towards Artemis.

"You were," Sirius said smiling a little sadly. "You thought she might be too dangerous, and I said I thought it was worth the risk. I think I was right."

Remus lowered his wand and just gave him a brief nod, jaw clenched. "Someone betrayed us," he said a low voice. "They knew we were moving him tonight."

"Where's Harry?" Sirius asked again, frowning in concern.

"Harry's inside," said Remus, moving past him to pull Artemis into his arms. "You two were the last." She clung to him, as he buried his face in her hair. "That was torture," he whispered. "Waiting for you to return…"

"It was crazy." Artemis murmured. "Voldemort can fly without a broom. And he came after me right away, but he didn't stick around. I wonder how he knew I wasn't really Harry?"

Remus chuckled weakly. "Kingsley said it was that first spell you cast. Harry would never kill someone by suffocating them in midair."

"Which twin was with Kingsley? I saw him get hit. One Death Eater was aiming directly at Kingsley when another spell hit the twin."

"George…It was Snape that cursed him."

"No," Artemis whispered. "Are you certain?"

"That particular spell was always rather a specialty of his."

"Is George all right?"

"Alive at least, but his ear's right off. You can't mend dark magic like that."

Artemis felt her stomach turn over sickeningly at both the image in her head and the knowledge that a missing ear was probably the best Snape could have done under the circumstances, and that Remus would never believe that.

They entered the Burrow, Remus' arm tight around her shoulders, and walked into an extremely tense room. Tonks was wiping her eyes with a handkerchief as Kingsley stared down a furious looking Gareth.

"It couldn't have been Mundungus," Bill said quietly. "The whole decoy stunt was his idea, and it was obvious they didn't know about that part of the plan."

"But then why assume we had something to do with it?" Kieran asked, his voice deep and dangerous. "We have as much to lose as any of you."

"I saw your father," Kingsley said sternly, still staring down at Gareth.

"But…what?" Gareth asked, glancing over at Oscar, who looked just as bewildered.

"Your real father," said Kingsley. "Travers was with Voldemort tonight. His hood fell back. I saw him."

Kieran made a sound of disgust as Gareth glared fiercely around the room. "That man is _not_ my father," he ground out. "Are you really standing here after all we've been through and suspecting me of being a traitor?"

Artemis realized the group had unconsciously divided themselves, werewolves shifting closer towards one another. Isabel was kneeling beside the couch, clutching George's hand and watching the rest of her family with wide, uncertain eyes.

"Who didn't make it?" she whispered to Remus, her brain unable to calculate the people properly at the moment. "I saw one of the Harry's alone by the end."

"Mad-Eye," Remus whispered back. "He spun his broom around to put himself between Ron and Voldemort and took a killing curse."

"You-Know-Who acted pretty much as Mad-Eye expected him too," sniffed Tonks. "He went for Harry's godfather first, then the strongest Aurors…"

"Yes, and zat eez all very good," snapped Fleur, "but still eet does not explain 'ow zey knew we were moving 'Arry tonight, does eet? Somebody must 'ave been careless. Somebody let slip ze date to an outsider. It is zee only explanation for zem knowing ze date but not ze 'ole plan."

Sirius stood beside Harry, his arm around the boy's shoulder; their own differences momentarily forgotten. Artemis saw Harry glance briefly at Sirius before looking over at Hagrid, and then he stepped forward. "No," he said, and everyone looked over at him. "I mean…if somebody made a mistake and let something slip, I know they didn't mean to do it. It's not their fault."

He looked quickly toward Sirius again, almost as if he didn't mean to, and went on, "We've got to trust each other. I trust all of you, I don't think anyone in this room would ever sell me to Voldemort."

Only silence met his words, and Harry took an anxious gulp of whatever drink was in his hand. "Well said, Harry," said Fred unexpectedly.

"Yeah, 'ear, 'ear," said George, looking up at Fred, the corner of whose mouth twitched.

Remus was watching Harry with an odd expression. "You think I'm a fool?" demanded Harry.

"No," Remus sighed. "I think you're very like your father. James would have regarded it as the height of dishonor to mistrust his friends. It seemed foolish in retrospect, but Sirius and I mistrusting each other didn't exactly help matters back then, did it? I for one," he continued, "have needed to learn a great deal about trust over this past year, and even more about hope. Alastor's death is a great loss, the death of a hero always is. But we can't tear ourselves apart over what might have been an accident. You made it out alive, and that is the most important thing."

"Bill, Moony and I will go look for Mad-Eye's body," said Sirius abruptly. "The rest of you'd better get home."

"Oh, must you do that now?" worried Molly, looking up at her son.

Bill smiled, the scars from Greyback twisting his face. "We have to, Mum. We can't leave him for Death Eaters or Muggles to find."

Kingsley nodded. "I must get back to Downing Street. I was due there an hour ago."

"Wait till it gets out yeh did it again, Harry," said Hagrid. "Escaped him, fought him off when he was right on top of yeh!"

"It wasn't me," said Harry flatly, obviously exhausted and disturbed by the events of the evening. "It was my wand. My wand acted of its own accord."

"But that's impossible, Harry," said Hermione gently. "You mean that you did magic without meaning to; you reacted instinctively."

"No. It wasn't even a spell I recognized. I've never made gold flames before. And they just sort of fought back against Voldemort's spell, like they were aimed at his wand, not him."

"You had help," said Daisy quietly. "Everything must happen at the proper time, and your warriors intervened."

Harry frowned at her. "Why didn't they intervene to help Moody? I…I shouldn't even be here," he went on, frustratedly. "I'm putting all of you in danger. If Voldemort finds me here…"

"No, Harry," said Sirius in a calm and uncharacteristically adult sounding voice. "If you leave now, it makes all our efforts tonight rather pointless, don't you think?"

"Yeah, what about my bleeding ear?!" said George, trying to hoist himself up from the cushions.

Hezekiah snorted, and the others looked over at him. "They did it again," he said, waving towards George. "His ear…it's bleeding, but it's…never mind, he said shaking his head.

Harry looked as if he wanted to continue his argument for leaving, but just mumbled something about needing air as he left the room, Ron and Hermione following after him a moment later.

The werewolves left soon after, non-magic users pairing off with witch or wizard to apparate back to the farm. "Do you think he'll try to go off on his own?" Sirius asked Remus in a low voice as they moved to leave with the Americans.

"Most likely."

"Molly thinks the same thing," said Artemis. "So I'm sure she'll be keeping a close eye on him. At least you two seemed to have made up. That's a good thing."

"Yeah," said Sirius thoughtfully. "But I get the feeling he just thinks I'm an easy mark for femme fatales."

* * *

Thanks for reading along! And thank you to everyone who has followed and favorited this story. This is the first piece I started writing, and I certainly didn't intend it to keep going on the way it has. I just had this little idea in my head that I thought I would try writing out, and the tale just spun on and on. I'm honestly amazed each week at the number of times people look at this and decide to keep reading. So, thank you again! And thank you Charis77, for pushing me to start posting it! :)


	64. Chapter 64

Chapter 64 ~ August, 1997

The pale pink skirt flared out from her calves as Daisy twirled in front of the mirror. Her hair was twisted up in an elegant knot, with wispy curls framing her face. Pausing to double check her eyeliner, she wondered what Joshua's reaction would be when he saw her. And what would her reaction be when she saw him? Her pink lips smiled as she tried to picture him in the slim cut suit Isabel had dictated he and Gareth should wear. Isabel insisted they needed to go with a more old-fashioned look, and had chosen fifties inspired clothes for all of them. Daisy certainly wasn't complaining. The dress managed to give her an hour-glass figure in spite of her lack of curves. The other girls were in similar styles, Isabel wearing a mint green, and Catherine robin's egg blue. Gareth had laughed that they were going to look like Easter eggs, but Daisy thought the dresses were lovely.

"Daisy, come on! We're the last to leave!" Catherine's voice interrupted her, and Daisy quickly snatched up her matching handbag and hurried out of the room and down the stairs. She hadn't noticed the pops of everyone else disapparating, and now Catherine, Xavier, and Joshua were the only ones left waiting by the front door. If she was hoping for a reaction, Daisy sure wasn't disappointed. Her heart gave a little extra skip of excitement seeing Joshua's eyes widen and the corner of his mouth quirk up as he saw her.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed. "I just couldn't resist a few more twirls. This skirt is luscious!"

If she was hoping for a reaction, Daisy sure wasn't disappointed. Her heart gave a little extra skip of excitement seeing Joshua's eyes widen and the corner of his mouth quirk up as he saw her, like he found more than just the skirt luscious.

* * *

The wedding ceremony was taking place in a large tent, erected in the Weasley's yard, decked out in white and gold. A river of guests snaked their way in, running Bill's brothers off their feet as they escorted people to their seats. Jane sank gratefully into her chair and pulled out her wand, discreetly adding a cushioning charm to her shoes that had started to pinch almost as soon as she'd put them on. "I should have stuck with flats," she muttered to Hawthorne, slipping her wand back into the inner pocket of her dress robes.

"Well I'm glad you didn't," he said quietly. "Your legs look gorgeous in those heels."

Jane looked up at him a little skeptically. "These chicken legs?"

Hawthorne's eyes raked over her, lingering on her legs, and Jane felt herself blush.

"Let me ask you something," he said in a low voice. "Can you look at me — a grizzly old man with thinning hair and a belly that's enjoyed a few too many of your baked goods — and still find me attractive?"

Jane was speechless. Grizzly old man? That wasn't a phrase she ever would have chosen. Hawthorne's dark hair was liberally streaked with silver, and maybe it was a little thin on top, but not enough that you'd really notice it. He was distinguished looking. Her eyes flicked toward his waistband. She honestly hadn't paid much attention to his waistline, because she was usually paying attention to his perfectly nice backside. "I…I don't…I mean, I do find you attractive," she whispered. "I don't think you're a grizzly old man."

Hawthorne smiled. "And I don't think you have chicken legs," he murmured, resting a hand on her knee. "I happen to find your appearance quite desirable. So let's leave off the self deprecating comments, shall we?"

Jane nodded dumbly, her cheeks hot as the implications of his words settled on her. Once, as a teenager, she'd made the mistake of commenting in front of one of her grandmothers that she was feeling quite pretty that day, and how nice her hair style had turned out. The old woman had clucked her tongue and muttered something about vanity before turning her wand on Jane's head. The head of thick black curls frizzed up immediately, and for the rest of her life any efforts to tame her locks had been worthless. The subsequent lecture highlighted every body part that had ever caused her a moment's insecurity, and had caused such deep wounds, that Jane had spent the next twenty plus years never feeling quite good enough, and hiding it behind a sarcastic sense of humor.

"Now don't go dwelling on all that," Hawthorne said, interrupting her train of thought. "You look lovely, and we're going to have a wonderful time. You should take notes on what things you see that you'd like at your own wedding."

Jane stared at him. "What do you mean by that?" she whispered, wide-eyed.

Hawthorne patted the knee where his hand still rested. "Oh, I've just been thinking quite a bit about weddings and proposals lately."

"And?!"

He smiled at her mischievously. "And I'll be right here whenever you're ready to pop the question."

* * *

 _Oh, come and stir my cauldron,_

 _And if you do it right,_

 _I'll boil you up some hot strong love_

 _To keep you warm tonight._

* * *

The ceremony had gone off without a hitch, and the reception was now in full swing. Isabel may have promised she could make Celestina Warbeck's song sound good, but was Catherine who pulled it off. Her slightly husky, alto voice was perfect for the jazzy song, with Isabel and Daisy joining in as her perky back up singers. Catherine's bell skirt swished back and forth as she plucked the notes out on the large upright bass. Xavier could tell she was feeling a little bashful about singing a song like that, and tried not to stare at her, seeing her blush every time their eyes met.

"You know you're overthinking things."

Xavier raised an eyebrow at his brother's sudden comment. "What does that mean?"

"You're all worried about trying to plan the perfect date, and in the meantime you aren't taking her on any dates at all!" Xander said in exasperation. "You finally tell her how you feel, find out she feels the same, and then you're being a snail about it!"

"Maybe I'm not being a snail. Maybe I'm being a snake. I wait for the right moment and then strike," Xavier replied.

Xander choked, trying to laugh and swallow his drink at the same time. "That probably sounded better in your head," he wheezed, still laughing. "What do y'all think?" he asked the rest of their table.

"No comment," said Remus immediately. "My personal policy is to never offer anyone else romantic advice of any kind."

"I think he should ask her to dance later, and I think you should mind your own business," said Kieran gruffly, though he was smiling.

"Is Deirdre having a good time?" Artemis asked Xander, looking around for the girl.

"I think so. The twins promised to introduce her to some people and make sure she danced a lot. There she is," he added, pointing her out. She was wearing a dark green dress that Isabel had helped her choose. The girl had been a little self conscious about some of her scars, so the dress was quite modest, with long, lacy sleeves. Another red head was currently guiding her through a waltz, kindly helping her count the steps as they went.

"Who's she dancing with?" asked Jane. "There are so many red heads here!"

"It's like a ginger convention," agreed Hawthorne.

"That's one of Arthur and Molly's other sons, Charlie," said Remus. "He's in the Order, but works as a dragon trainer in Romania.

Jane nodded. "Dragon trainer, huh? He probably would have been a Thunderbird," she said, smiling.

"Hey now," interjected Hezekiah. "It's one thing to guess Houses for a No-Maj, but you can't reassign somebody who already has a House…besides, if the guy trains dragons, he clearly would have been a Wampus," he added under his breath, winking at her.

"Wildcats represent!" cheered Artemis, giving Hezekiah a high five.

"Mmmm, I would offer Pukwudgie," said Hawthorne. "The young man is clearly kind hearted. He's helping a complete stranger learn to dance and devotes his life to working with misunderstood creatures."

"Is that your House?" asked Tonks, leaning in, and nearly upsetting her drink. "It sounds a little like Hufflepuff."

"No, I'm a very proud Horned Serpent," replied Hawthorne, "house of the scholars. Was he a Hufflepuff?"

"Hardly," snorted Tonks. "Weasleys are always in Gryffindor. They're more about bravado than hard work."

"Watch that cheek, Nymphadora," smiled Sirius. "It's no bad thing to get by on sheer nerve once in a while."

"Don't call me that," Tonks said warningly, as her hair darkened. "Besides, he's a good mate of mine, I can say what I like."

"So much for the scholar," teased Jane, nudging Hawthorne. "Your deduction was wrong."

"I never claimed to be Sherlock Holmes. Incidentally, which was his house?" asked Hawthorne.

"Sherlock Holmes is fictional," said Kieran. "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote stories about him."

"Other way round, I'm afraid," said Remus. "Sherlock Holmes was a Ravenclaw, and made up the persona Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to hide the fact that he was a wizard. He rather enjoyed dipping into both lifestyles. Made a lot of extra work for Obliviators when he ran around playing detective."

"No way," breathed Xander. "Who else you got that we don't know about?"

"Tolkien of course," said Hawthorne, "but as to his house…"

"Gryffindor," said Sirius, raising his glass. "All the best ones are."

"Well, some of the best ones," amended Remus. "Lewis Carroll was a Hufflepuff."

"I always thought he was strung out on drugs," laughed Kieran. "But him being one of y'all makes just as much sense."

* * *

As soon as their first set was finished, Xavier practically leaped from his seat to help Catherine step down from the stage and see if she wanted something to drink or to dance. Charlie Weasley had agreed to act as a DJ of sorts, holed up with a stack of records to play whenever the American kids took a break from performing.

Gareth slumped into a chair beside Sirius, grabbing up a glass of water and downing it. Sirius had stuck to his seat while the others mingled and danced, well aware that even his invitation was frowned upon by many others. He may have been pardoned by the Ministry and trusted by the Weasley family, but that didn't mean he had a ticket back into normal society. They watched the crowd silently for a little while, before Sirius turned to Gareth and asked, "Where's your plus one?"

"What?" asked Gareth, stifling a yawn.

"Your date? Didn't you invite anyone?"

"Nah. Why would I ask someone to come sit with people they don't know to watch me play? Besides, I haven't even met someone I'd want to ask. Where's yours?"

"Oh, I was going to bring Eel, but she would be out past her bedtime," Sirius said flippantly.

"Right," laughed Gareth. "I can't believe Ellie and Artemis agreed to let Papá babysit Finn and Ana for the evening. He'll let Finn get away with murder. So we'll just start a table for the poor dateless ones then, you, me and Xander."

"Xander has a date," smiled Sirius, pointing out the girl with dark red hair in the green dress, talking with Isabel and George.

"I thought she was another Weasley. I've never seen so many red heads all in one place. And where'd he ever find a date?" asked Gareth managing to sound both intrigued and annoyed at the same time. "The only people I've met outside of the Order were those vacuous girls at the embassy dinners. I swear their fathers keep bringing them to try and foist them on to some unsuspecting low level diplomat."

"I think I know what you mean. I used to feel the same way at the dinners my parents gave. That's Deirdre. She's a werewolf from the other pack, about Harry's age I think. Xander just asked her because he figured she wouldn't ever get to do stuff like this otherwise.

"Oh, that's nice," Gareth nodded, covering another yawn. "Isabel's talked about her." He watched as George's friend, Lee, led the girl onto the dance floor, keeping up a steady stream of conversation as the girl nodded and watched her feet anxiously through the dance.

"Who are the ones over there that look like egg yolks?"

Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "The Lovegoods. It's an old custom to wear sun colors to a wedding. I guess they're just keeping up with tradition."

"And those two?" Gareth asked, nodding towards two blondes, who had passed close by the dance floor, whispering together.

Sirius swirled the amber firewhiskey around in his glass before taking another swallow. "Fleur's cousins. Part Veela."

"Ah, that explains the entourage," said Gareth, shaking his head at the young men, and a few older, that attempted to trail discreetly after the young women.

Sirius glanced at him curiously. "Aren't you drawn to them too? Fleur's only a quarter Veela, so she's a little easier to ignore, but I think these two are half."

Gareth grinned, managing to be easily confident without being arrogant. "It's a werewolf thing. We're immune or something. I just see two fairly attractive young women who are rather nastily gossiping about the rest of the guests."

The two watched the blondes turn and retrace their steps at the edge of the dance floor. Isabel glared as George stopped talking in the middle of a sentence; head pivoting to follow them with this mouth hanging partly open. Gareth chuckled, but the sound trailed off and his eyes narrowed as he saw Lee Jordan simply walk off the dance floor, and trail after the two girls, leaving Deirdre standing in the middle of the room, staring after him in bewilderment.

Without a word, Gareth stood and straightened his coat. He looked for all the world like an old Hollywood playboy, style and charisma at hand to be wielded as a weapon. He probably could have taken a lesson or two from this kid back in his day, Sirius thought in amusement as the young man swaggered up to the two blondes.

Easily drawing the French girls' attention away from the rest of their fawning admirers, Gareth led one of them onto the dance floor as the next song began. Whatever he whispered into her ear was clearly delighting the girl, as she preened under the attention, floating around the room in his arms. Isabel left George and Lee tripping over themselves in attempts to impress the remaining Veela cousin, and grabbed Deirdre's arm, leading her over to a white-coated waiter and grabbing a couple glasses of Butterbeer. Sirius saw Deirdre shrug, a little embarrassed, as Isabel was clearly off on a diatribe about the boys' behavior.

Halfway through the song, Gareth gracefully spun the girl out and stepped around her, leaving her in the middle of dance floor as he walked resolutely towards his sister and her friend. Giving Isabel the barest hint of a wink, Gareth gently took the glass from Deirdre's hand and offered her his arm. Her hand wrapped around him hesitantly, and he leaned in to whisper something. The red-head looked up at him surprise and laughed. Isabel watched them stroll out of the tent and glanced smugly at the furious French girl practically stomping her way off the dance floor.

Sirius chuckled and drained the rest of his glass. That young man was something else. He had been born into a harsh world, forced to suffer unspeakable pain, and commit acts of atrocity before he was old enough to attend school. And yet where one would expect scars, there was perseverance, compassion, and a fierce love for his adopted family. Of course, Catherine would wrinkle up her nose and say he was a little too interested in other people's business. Isabel would roll her eyes and say he was bossy. Joshua would smile and say he could be a bit of a know-it-all. Daisy would laugh and say his infrequent bouts of temper were to mask when he felt anxious. And each sibling would agree that Gareth would defend them until his last breath. He took the role of big brother very seriously.

Perhaps they might persuade Minerva to bring the Sorting Hat to an Order meeting, Sirius thought. The kids by all rights should have attended Hogwarts, and it would be interesting to see what their Houses might have been. Gareth certainly had nerve and a chivalrous heart, but Sirius had a sneaking suspicion that deep down that boy was a Hufflepuff.

* * *

During their second break, Daisy was chattering happily about how lovely the decorations were and how pretty everyone looked as Joshua waltzed her around the dance floor. He couldn't quite focus in on what she was saying because he was too busy thinking about the neckline of her dress, how soft her skin looked, and how unfortunate it was that a waltz dictated his hand stayed on the small of her back…or maybe that was fortunate. Heaven only knows how distracted he might be if it had been a slower dance.

* * *

 _Dance your final dance_

 _This is your final chance_

 _To hold the one you love_

 _You know you've waited long enough_

* * *

As this next, considerably slower, song began, Joshua almost groaned out loud. Gareth had positively refused to play this particular Weird Sisters song, and he'd whole heartedly agreed. Banal lyrics and a melody more likely to put someone to sleep than stir up romance. Grabbing Daisy's hand, he abruptly left the dance floor. It was a lovely evening, they were both dressed up, and he would be hanged before he wasted another second of his time with her in that tent.

* * *

 _Don't be scared_

 _She wants you too_

 _Yeah it's hard_

 _You must be brave_

 _Don't let this moment slip away_

* * *

Joshua headed for what appeared to be an empty corner of the yard, near the garden wall. Not as dark as the nearby shed or copse of trees, this space had been passed over by other amorous couples. He pulled his wand from his inside jacket pocket and cast a silencing charm. Breathing a sigh of relief that he could no longer hear the song, he focused his attention on Daisy, who was looking back towards the tent, laughing.

"What's so funny?" he asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. He'd kind of hoped she'd be a little breathless and surprised by their sudden departure, not amused.

"The ground's a little squishy back there, and you were walking so fast I lost my shoes," Daisy giggled.

"Sorry," Joshua said sheepishly. "I can go find them."

"We can find them later," she replied with an unconcerned wave toward the dark yard. "I don't want to waste the moment."

Joshua didn't have a chance to respond before Daisy had stepped up to him, placed her hands on his hips and pushed herself up on tiptoe to press her lips firmly against his. He was so taken off guard, that he didn't even think to kiss her back before she pulled away.

"There," she said with a self-satisfied smile. "Now that the first kiss is out of the way I think we should work on the second one."

Daisy stepped closer to him, and Joshua took a step backward, bumping into the stone wall. "Wait," he croaked hoarsely. "I…I just…I need to tell you something first."

"What is it?" she asked, narrowing her eyes and worrying her lower lip.

Joshua cleared his throat and let out a deep breath. "You look beautiful," he said softly. "Really, truly beautiful." One hand hesitantly reached out to touch a tendril of curl by her ear, before running his fingertips lightly down her throat to her collarbone. He pulled away before he gave in to the temptation to trace the neckline of her dress, and settled for running his hand down her arm. "I love you," he whispered, ducking his head down to kiss her cheek.

"I love you too," Daisy replied smiling up at him sweetly.

Fumbling for his wand, Joshua pointed it at Daisy's bare feet, and cast a levitation spell. She floated up about a foot into the air, laughing softly as Joshua placed his hands on her hips to steady her, and drew her in. This time he acted first, and he heard her sigh happily as his lips moved against hers, the scent of her gardenia perfume washing over him.

* * *

Isabel eyed the crowd speculatively. If George Weasley was so enamored with those French girls, then he could have them. She would find some entertaining company elsewhere. Spotting a dark young man sitting next to a red-headed boy that might have been the Polyjuiced Harry Potter (although there really were so many Weasley relatives here it was quite impossible to tell for sure) Isabel moved in quickly.

"I am sooo sorry to interrupt," she said, sailing up to their table. "But my escort has quite abandoned me, and I would so love to dance right now. Are either of you available?"

"I vud be honored," said the dark one immediately. "I am Viktor Krum." He stood and took her hand, bowing to place a small kiss on her knuckles.

"I am Isabel Rodriguez, and you will do just perfectly!" She noticed the red-head roll his eyes, and winked at him. "Now Viktor," she began brightly. "You must be from out of town just like me! Wherever did you get that marvelous accent?"

"I am from Bulgaria. And you are an American, yes?"

"Why yes I am. Are you living in the UK now, or are you just in town for the wedding?" Isabel kept up the prattling conversation as she led him the long way through the tables, and around the edge of the dance floor, her arm tucked firmly around his own. _Ah, there he is_. Crisscrossing part of the room once more, Isabel passed right beside George and Lee Jordan.

"Viktor, that's just fascinating!" her voiced pealed loudly. "I don't follow Quidditch myself, but you clearly are an exceptional athlete!" She looked up at him admiringly and patted his well-muscled arm.

Coming down from their Veela high, the boys glanced at each other in confusion. George did a double take seeing Isabel walk towards the dance floor with Krum, and caught up to them in two strides. "Izzy, I thought…when did he ask you to dance?" George said, partly puzzled and partly annoyed.

"Oh, I asked him" she replied airily. "You were quite wrapped up with Fleur's cousins, so I didn't think you'd mind."

"Wrapped up with…who?" George asked, a sinking feeling in his stomach. He'd teased Ron plenty about his inability to behave normally around Fleur, but he hadn't expected to succumb himself.

"Vell, those girls are half-Veela," offered Viktor. "It takes fortitude to withstand their temptation. I myself was quite susceptible as a boy. But if you are Izzabel's date, I do not want to intrude…"

"I am," said George firmly, gritting his teeth at the comment about susceptible boys, as Isabel in the same moment replied, "He's not."

"I play in the band," she continued. "So I didn't bring a date."

"I didn't bring a date either," countered George, "because we had an understanding. And I think you only asked him to dance to make me jealous," he finished triumphantly.

"Well I think you were so wrapped up in those French poodles that you hadn't even noticed I left," she bit back, taking a little pleasure in seeing George wince.

"And I think I vill get something to drink," added Viktor, gently removing Isabel's hand from his arm. "If you decide later you vud still like to dance, you find me, yes?"

George watched him walk away. Isabel huffed in frustration before darting after him. George could see her waving her arms around as she spoke, obviously trying to apologize and explain. When she returned, she stood in front of him, arms crossed and foot tapping.

"Don't you think you owe me an apology?" she finally said.

"Are you sure it was me? Maybe it was Fred. We are identical," George hedged guiltily.

"You're taller, his nose is straighter and you're _missing an ear_ ," Isabel hissed, making an about face to follow after Krum.

"Isabel wait! I'm sorry!" George called. "I don't know what happened. It's... it's like a spell. Your head starts buzzing and you don't know quite what's going on except you need to follow these girls…"

Her lips were pressed into a thin, disapproving line, reminding George scarily of his mum. "We've just gone out on a couple dates," she finally said. "And we didn't really come here as a couple, so it's not like you were doing anything wrong…exactly."

"And asking Viktor Krum to dance with you wasn't wrong either," George said slowly. "But for what it's worth, it made me sick to my stomach."

A hint of a smile twitched her lips. "Yeah," she nodded. "Seeing you turn into a drooling idiot over those…well, it made me sick to my stomach too."

"It's not a commonly recommended treatment, but perhaps a dance could cure our stomach aches," George said, grinning impudently at her.

"I suppose it might be worth a try," Isabel responded, and held out her hand imperiously.

As he walked her onto the dance floor, George leaned in and whispered, "You know, my head tends to get a little fuzzy every time I see you too. Are you sure you're not part Veela?"

* * *

"Thanks, for what you did in there," said Deirdre shyly. "That was mint."

"No problem. I can't stand people acting like they're better than somebody else."

Gareth was quite enjoying his little jaunt outside with Deirdre. After her initial moments of just timidly answering any questions he asked her in one or two words, she finally started to relax and open up a little. He vaguely remembered Isabel saying something about the girl being uneasy around men, so he kept his hands in his pockets and made sure to keep an extra half step or so away from her personal space.

Growing up around so many different adults from different parts of the world, Gareth had always been interested in languages and accents. Hawthorne and Hezekiah, from the western part of the country, had what they considered just general American accents, broad flat vowels, but clearly defined consonants. Kieran, Xander and Xavier's southern speech was all slurred words and slow drawling vowels. Jane was a different character all together; her throaty Bronx voice heavy on front consonants, with dropped r's at the end of some of her words. She claimed it would sound even stronger if she still lived there, her ten years on the reservation having mellowed her speech. Even Oscar and Rosa had spoken different dialects of Peruvian Spanish.

So Gareth had quite enjoyed the variations of British English he'd heard since arriving in the UK, and right at this moment found Deirdre's Mancunian accent with its flatter vowels fascinating.

"You have such a unique way of speaking," he said, as she finished telling him about the day the Death Eaters had come into their camp.

"It…it's just northern," she said in surprise. "Manc, really. And it's not a bit posh."

"You mean it's not all nasally and puckered like the queen?" Gareth asked, affecting a terrible accent and waving his hand dismissively.

Deirdre laughed before replying with a shrug, "Well, you get better jobs if you speak better."

Gareth deflated slightly. "I supposed that's true. What kind of jobs do you do?" he asked curiously.

"Work in a shop, sometimes wait tables," she shrugged.

"Did you ever want to try anything else? Our lives were pretty insulated until we came here. Now it turns out I'm pretty good at negotiating contracts for international businesses."

"Before I got bit I'd thought about working for the NHS, with child social services. I thought I could maybe help kids like me that might fall through the cracks."

"But you kind of do that now, don't you?" Gareth asked. "You said you're usually the one that helps your Alpha keep tabs on everyone; makes sure they're all right after each full moon?"

"I guess I do," she said softly. "I hadn't thought about it like that…Oh!" Deirdre stopped in surprise, and began to turn back toward the tent, her hand reaching for Gareth's arm as though to pull him along.

"What's wrong? Why did you stop?" he asked, before noticing the couple standing by the garden wall. His eyes widened in shock at seeing Joshua and Daisy completely oblivious to the rest of the world. "Right…I'm just going to pretend I didn't see that," he muttered, turning around as well. "We're back on stage in five minutes!" He yelled over his shoulder, not bothering to check if they'd heard him or not.

As they made their way back to the tent, Gareth leaned over a little and said conspiratorially, "You know, I consider myself a bit of a matchmaker. So if you ever need any help in that department, you just let me know. My sisters are all well on their way to marital bliss."

Deirdre gave him a sidelong glance before she started laughing. "Umm, yeah, what Isabel says is that you consider yourself a matchmaker, but you're actually not that good at it."

* * *

It was a test of some sort; it had to be. _Take a tray down to our guests_. There was something behind Bellatrix's eyes when she asked her to help. But Lina wasn't entirely sure what she was being tested on. A tray with bottles of potion and bowls of food hovered in the air behind her as she made her way down the steps into the cool basement. The stones were smooth, dry, and cleanly cut. _No damp, mucky basement permitted at the Malfoy Estate_ , Lina thought wryly.

The smell hit her as she approached the door, and Lina steeled herself. _Just leave the things and walk away. It doesn't matter who's in here, they aren't your job. Any hint of compassion and Bellatrix will be on you faster than you can blink._ She unlocked the heavy wooden door, and pushed it open, wand at the ready. The room was dark, silent, and stank of human waste.

 _Don't use any light. It doesn't matter who's in here. She's baiting you._

With a flick of her wand, the tray set itself down on the floor with a soft scraping sound. The open doorway lit a patch of the ground near the tray, and Lina saw a small hand reach out of the darkness and take one of the bowls of food. Cursing herself, Lina held up her wand, whispering _Lumos_ , and held it out, illuminating the entire room. One horrified intake of breath and she forced her face into a stiff mask of indifference, internally cursing every blasted Death Eater on the planet.

* * *

So after the characters' discussion on Houses, I'm curious as to other people's thoughts on Sorting. Do you think 11 is too young to sort? Or is the issue that we pigeonhole the traits of each House? (i.e. Cunning or resourcefulness isn't inherently evil, it's just been employed by evil people with evil results.) What House do you think each of the younger werewolves might have been sorted into, given the opportunity? Feel free to comment on the reviews, or send me a pm, or an email to mamastreetstories, which is a gmail address. I appreciate each one of you reading!


	65. Chapter 65

Chapter 65 ~ August, 1997

Daisy's fingers danced over the piano keys. They were in the middle of the third and final set, and she and Joshua had only been the tiniest bit late getting back on stage. She let her mind wander to the kisses they'd shared, long awaited and very sweet. A cold wind blew over her unexpectedly, and ruffled the pages of the sheet music. Looking up in confusion, Daisy was hit by an onslaught of various scenes playing themselves out in front of her eyes, obscuring the sheet music and causing her to stumble over the next few bars. Engulfed by a sudden sense of foreboding at the visions, Daisy looked around frantically for her wolf.

Instantly before her, the warrior met her gaze calmly. _Thus begins the end. You must aid the Chosen One. The enemy seeks to isolate and deceive._

Gareth drawled out the last notes of the song as Joshua's drum brushes swept their final stroke. Daisy stood abruptly from the piano bench and reached Joshua in two steps.

"What is it?" Joshua asked, frowning.

"Too many possibilities," she said in a low voice. She looked around the room, and zeroed in on Harry, still polyjuiced to resemble a Weasley cousin. Without his warriors to point him out, she wouldn't have been able to find him so quickly.

"I need you to get to Harry and take him back to our house," she said, twisting her hands together a little worriedly. "Something's coming, but I can't get the timing."

Joshua nodded and stood from his seat. "Aren't you coming too?" he asked, frowning.

Daisy shook her head. "I need to talk to Hermione. I'll get her and Ron to meet you at the house. Harry won't cooperate without them."

"I don't want to leave you here if something bad's going to happen," Joshua said in a voice barely above a whisper. "I'm supposed to fight with you."

Daisy's face softened and the worry left her eyes as she looked up at him. "Harry might put up a fight. He has trouble trusting people. You'll have to make him leave, and you can come across as quite intimidating, you know," she added, smiling at him teasingly.

Joshua made a face at her. "Fine. But promise you'll come as soon as you can."

"I promise," she said solemnly, and then that teasing smile crossed her face again. "I'm pretty sure you owe me a good night kiss."

From behind her piano, Daisy craned her neck to watch Joshua having a quiet conversation with Harry, and then the two of them leaving the tent. The remaining siblings finished the final set with Gareth filling in on drums, and Isabel taking the lead on vocals. The gentle darkness of a summer night had fallen completely, and moths began to swoop under the canopy, now lit with floating golden lanterns. As the band left the stage for the last time, Charlie Weasley started the next round of phonograph albums before turning back to his conversation with Hagrid.

The other Americans had made their way back to the table, except for Kieran and Ellie, who were still dancing. Daisy's eyes swept over everyone, doing a quick head count.

"What happened to Joshua?" asked Hawthorne, as the kids joined them.

Daisy sat down and leaned forward, trying to keep her voice low. "I had him take Harry back to our house. Something's coming, but I'm not sure what, and I'm not sure when."

The atmosphere was instantly tense, Remus and Artemis began scanning the room as the magic users surreptitiously removed wands from pockets. "We'll scout the perimeter," said Xavier, nudging his brother.

"Wait. We need an exit strategy," said Gareth, shaking his head at Xavier. "We may not have an opportunity to find you and Xander to get you home if there's a fight and you're off by yourselves. Non-magic users need to stick with a wand.

"Moony and I'll go with them and check the barriers," offered Sirius. "I think Arthur's celebrated a little too much to remember when he last checked them.

Gareth nodded. "Hezekiah, you and Tonks circle the inside of the tent going left, and Artemis and I will go right…"

"Artemis will be going home," interrupted Remus, his voice soft, but decisive.

The raven-haired witch stiffened, opened her mouth and closed it again. Narrowing her eyes, she turned in her seat to face Remus. "I will go home this time," she began quietly, "because we agreed to alternate missions. I did not agree to let you speak for me, dictate to me, or ignore me while you inform others about what my role is going to be. So when you get home we will have a talk about the various ways you can rephrase what you just said in future conversations."

Remus frowned, warring with himself over whether to continue the quasi argument right now or let it drop. He finally settled on a stiff nod, but felt Artemis slip her hand into his a moment later, and squeeze. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles reassuringly and gave her a rueful smile.

"Anyway," continued Gareth loudly, "Daisy, why don't you take Catherine and Deirdre home?"

"I need to speak with Hermione first," said Daisy, shaking her head. "Artemis can take Cat and Deirdre. I'll stay and fight."

Gareth nodded his agreement. "Isabel can stick with you then, and Jane and Hawthorne can maintain their position here in the center of the room. We'll stay and fight as long as we can, but if things go badly we pull out. Remus will be the one to make that call," he finished, tilting his head towards the older man.

Remus looked surprised and glanced at Hawthorne, who was smiling proudly. Xander elbowed Xavier. "I think we're looking at the next Alpha," he whispered.

Xavier nodded. "Fine by me," he murmured.

When the song ended, Kieran and Ellie made their way back to the table, their faces flushed and happy. But those expressions faded as Gareth filled them in on what was happening. Kieran immediately began urging Ellie to return to the house with Artemis, and she immediately began resisting. Already feeling guilty about not learning to fight with the others, she was determined to at least be on hand now as they would most certainly need a Healer before the night was over.

Artemis had left with Catherine and Deirdre in tow, Ron and Hermione following just after. Daisy had spoken with the Weasleys, and the family of red-heads were now working their way around the room saying goodbyes and urging guests to go ahead and make their way home.

Suddenly something large and silver came falling through the canopy over the dance floor. Graceful and gleaming, the lynx landed lightly in the middle of the astonished dancers. Heads turned, and those nearest it froze absurdly in mid-dance. Then the Patronus' mouth opened wide and it spoke in the loud, deep, slow voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt. _"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."_

There was a stunned moment of silence before panic erupted. People darted in all directions, the pop of disapparations echoing through the tent. Jane managed to kick off her shoes and stand from her seat as the Death Eaters began appearing inside the tent. Murmuring a quick prayer that the tremors which had plagued her since she'd been hit in the previous battle wouldn't interfere with her spells, Jane cast curse after curse. She could hear Hawthorne yelling his own jinxes beside her. One of her spells and Hawthorne's hit simultaneously, blasting a man backwards. He crashed onto the next table, candles and shattered vases flying through the air. Shifting to stand back to back, they each began dueling the next masked figures that approached.

Her arm brushed against Hawthorne's back, and she felt a moment of gratitude for the man - stalwart and strong, with the marvelous ability to not take himself too seriously. Jane shook her head to rein in her thoughts. She adored the man, but this was clearly not the time to be thinking about that. Her wand flashed, spells continuing to find their targets, even as she noticed her hand beginning to tremble slightly.

Whether it was her own memories or a nudge from her warrior, Jane was suddenly reminded of the stories of her childhood - mighty King David who slayed giants or Nehemiah, whose men fought with a sword in one hand while they rebuilt their city walls with the other. "May the God of my fathers arm me with strength, and keep my way secure," Jane murmured under her breath, not entirely certain she had the quote just right. The trembling appeared to worsen, and she supported her wand arm with her other hand, determined not to give up.

* * *

The deep, warning voice of the patronus only just reached the men keeping guard outside. Remus rolled his shoulders, to stretch out a kink, his wand held firmly in his hand, as his eyes searched the darkness. Xavier beside him tensed, glanced back toward the tent, and sniffed the air, trying to recognize scents among the large crowd of people.

Unlike the fight at the werewolf camp, the Death Eaters that came this night were quick, silent, and far more dangerous. There was no crack or tremor as the barriers fell. Xander, in his werewolf form, patrolling the other end of the property with Sirius, only registered a faint crackling sound before they were caught up in a vicious fight with cloaked figures that seemed to appear out of thin air. Remus and Xavier heard Sirius' faint yell of _Protego!_ before they too were surrounded.

Not for the first time, Xavier wished he was armed with more than claws and fangs. In the strange way your mind segments itself in moments of stress, he found himself making a mental note to bring up the topic of guns as he moved behind Remus' shield charm to launch himself at the nearest Death Eater. Wizarding battles turned out to be not so different from No-Maj battles. The oily smoke and scent of sulfur that accompanied so many spells were reminiscent of that ambush by Lebanese militias back in '83. Being pinned down by mortar fire, that was what he couldn't stand. Give him a clear means of engagement and he was all in, but he couldn't bear the sensation of feeling trapped.

His jaws locked onto flesh, but not bone, and he quickly lost his grip as teeth tore through body. Ducking away from the wand that flailed beside his head, he turned and snapped at the arm, getting a good grip this time as the wand fell to the ground. Xavier flung the man away from him, the Death Eater's body taking the brunt of the curse coming his way. The next opponent tried to approach from the side, but Xavier raked out with his claws and the cloaked figured screeched as he tried to scramble away. A spell flew in front of him and knocked back the two closest wizards, giving Xavier the opportunity to slink back behind Remus. Truthfully, there was no one Xavier would rather fight with. The man was unflappable, behaving as if this were no more than a very intense training session, his gaze dark and focused.

Across the property, Sirius and Xander were just as focused, but tended to approach the situation with more bravado, Sirius' mouth moving as fast as his wand as he hurled insults alongside spells. Xander relied on that first sense of shock and fear to bulldoze into the group, biting and tearing his way through haphazardly, leaving Sirius to finish them off. He suddenly heard Sirius yell in pain, and skidded to a stop practically folding himself in half to turn around. Sirius was clutching at the hands of a Death Eater wrapped around his neck, neither appearing to have a wand. Xander heaved himself forward, landing on the back of the dark wizard and knocking them both over. Reacting without thinking, he bit down on the neck and pulled, blood spurting as the flesh tore away. The man fell, instantly silent.

Xander sat back on his haunches, a little stunned. For all the intimidation, threats, and occasional fighting he'd made use of in his past, he'd never actually killed anyone before. He then noticed Sirius struggling out from under the body, and quickly transformed, wincing at the taste of blood in his mouth, as he took Sirius by the hand and pulled him up. "Thanks," Sirius rasped, clapping Xander on the back.

Xander nodded. "I, uh, I'm gonna change back. The…the blood doesn't seem to taste quite as bad that way."

Sirius gave him a searching look and nodded before scanning the ground for his wand. Apart from the body on the ground the other Death Eaters had fled, so the wizard and werewolf headed back towards the wedding canopy.

* * *

Back inside the tent, Kieran had still been arguing with Ellie about her returning to the house when the swooping black figures appeared. The Death Eater that had the misfortune to land between them didn't even get to fire off a single spell. Not yet transformed, the Alpha grabbed the dark wizard's wrist, yanking the wand from his hand and jabbing it through his neck. Shoving the gurgling, bloody figure away from him, Kieran transformed and let out of a furious snarl. The swift transformation did exactly what was intended, as the Death Eaters that witnessed it began backing away in a hurry. Kieran launched himself at the closest one and locked his jaws on the man's arm, flinging him away like a rag doll. Ellie concentrated on maintaining a shield charm around them and promised herself she would be participating in the next defense training sessions.

Kieran had never been filled with such a righteous fury. His blood felt like it was burning within, giving him a strength and ferocity he was unaccustomed to. More Death Eaters fell before him than were able to run away; their spells seeming to rebound off his his thick dark fur. He concentrated on Artemis' advice - bite off the wand hand and move on. At some point he grew numb to the screams of pain, the crunch of the bones, and the thick, metallic-tasting blood that filled his mouth as he and Ellie fought their way nearer to Jane and Hawthorne, in the center of the dance floor.

His pack was scattered, and all Kieran could think about was keeping Ellie safe and just hoping the Creator was somehow helping the others. Rosa's death had shaken him more than he cared to admit. The first pack member they'd lost in this war had him questioning how powerful Daisy's warriors actually were. Shouldn't they have stopped it? He should have insisted Ellie go home; gotten Artemis to force her. The loss of more pack members would be devastating, but losing Ellie… He hated thinking it, but without Ellie he'd probably give up. He knew the claiming no longer had any control over him, but his fear in this moment was forcing him to face the fact that he loved her, foolish as that was.

Pushing the distracting thoughts to the back of his mind where he kept his feelings safely tucked away, Kieran poured his fear and frustration into the battle. He gave himself over fully to the beast, teeth and claws gleaming in the light of the burning canopy. Screams and moans filled his ears as he felt flesh tear under his paws and in his mouth. He no longer focused on disarming, but destroying.

* * *

Daisy couldn't help but marvel at how pretty the spells looked as they flew across the room. Streaks of red, blue, green, purple, and white arced across the canopy, reflecting in the broken glass that covered the floor and table tops. A piece of flying glass hit her arm, and startled her out of her whimsical thoughts. "I don't know exactly what you can do in this situation, but any help would be greatly appreciated!" she yelled at the spectral warriors, as she ducked away from a curse. Tipping over the nearest table, she pulled Isabel down beside her.

"What's that healing spell, again?" Isabel asked, aiming her wand at Daisy's arm.

The brunette yanked her arm back. "Don't try it if you're not sure!" she yelped, wishing for a moment she hadn't sent Joshua away. She was getting better at maintaining her concentration on the physical world that she could affect, while keeping the supernatural world in her periphery, but she hadn't realized how much Joshua grounded her. No matter what she saw or how she tried to explain it, he always accepted it and adjusted his decisions to accommodate her.

Enemies had begun crawling over the ceiling of the canopy as soon as Kingsley's Patronus appeared, black spidery creatures that whispered fear to every wedding guest. The warriors immediately began to engage them, but they scattered and reformed, multiplying even as others were taken out. Daisy began to wonder if fear would maintain the upper hand this night.

 _You need not be afraid of the terror that stalks the night, or the destruction that lays waste to the day. The One Who Sits on the Throne is your refuge, and we have been charged to guard you in all your ways._

Daisy blinked in surprise at the wolf before her. "Okaaaay…that…sounds great," she said slowly. "So can you, um, do that, please?"

 _We do not war according to the flesh. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of strongholds - fortresses the enemies build of fear, shame, or anything that keeps you from hearing the Voice of the Creator._

"I will be really, really interested to talk through all the details with you…um, maybe tomorrow?" said Daisy, flinching as a spell hit the table. "But for right now, what can you do to help us fight these Death Eaters?"

It felt like being plunged into a warm bubble bath, or taking that first comforting sip of hot chocolate. Her spiritual warrior stepped into her…or maybe she was stepping into it, Daisy couldn't quite tell. But the wolf fully enveloped her, somehow deflecting any spells that came near. The crashing and yelling lessened, and her mind was suddenly clear and sharp, unburdened by fear.

"Right then. That's awesome," whispered Daisy, having to stifle a giggle.

Beside her, Isabel could feel the difference as well. "So, are the warriors shielding us? It feels like a shield charm."

"I think so?" replied Daisy uncertainly.

"There's only one way to find out," Isabel said, grinning. "I think Jane and Hawthorne could use some backup."

The sisters took a deep breath and stood to their feet. Charging out from behind the table, they joined the fray, wands flashing.

It had thrown Daisy a little to not be able to see her own wolf while she was fighting, but the sensation of the wolf being in her, or over her or whatever was happening, helped her stay calm. Almost everywhere she looked the warriors were protecting their people in this way, their own weapons flashing as they cut down any enemies that dared approach. Even the spells that were sent flashing through the air were supernaturally deflected or redirected away from their people.

Choosing to rest in the knowledge that the warriors were probably doing a far better job protecting her than she would protecting herself, Daisy focused all her attention on her own casting, opting on the less damaging disarming spells. When she noticed a reasonably strong warrior accompanying a Death Eater she tried the _Confundus_ Charm, and then darted forward to lay her hands on their chest and offer a quick prayer that they would recognize the deception of the enemies and choose to follow the light.

"Battle fields certainly seem to turn into obstacle courses pretty quickly," Isabel yelled in mild frustration, sidestepping a broken chair and jumping over a prone figure.

Daisy looked over at her and laughed. "You mean all that training you complained about is paying off?"

"Don't tell Xavier!" Isabel warned, flinging a haphazard shield charm as George stumbled into her, trying to duck away from a jet of red light. "He'll never let me hear the end of it!"

George clambered to his feet. "You have my thanks, fair warrior maiden," he said, pretending to sweep a hat from his head as he bowed low before her.

"Not at all, my valiant knight," Isabel replied pertly. "Now shall we commence with vanquishing our foes?"

"By all means, my lady. Let the vanquishing commence!"

* * *

Back at the farmhouse, Joshua was pacing agitatedly under the glare of a trussed up Harry. As Daisy had said, he had not left willingly. Joshua had been able to get him out away from the tent beyond the anti-apparation barrier by telling him Remus wanted them to double check that the wards were holding. Then Joshua had grabbed his arm and disapparated them back to the farmhouse, using the confusion to snatch Harry's wand away. He'd been unprepared for the way the smaller boy had launched himself at him to try and retrieve it, and both Joshua and Harry now sported various scrapes and bruises. A hastily cast _Incarcerous_ left Harry buried under a pile of thick rope, only his bright green eyes visible, now back to normal as a the Polyjuice Potion faded.

Two cracks announced the arrival of Artemis with Catherine and Deirdre, and Hermione with Ron. The girls' formal dresses rustled as they hurried into the house, Ron calling for Harry. They skidded to a stop at the sight of Joshua glaring back at the pile of rope. Ron slowly drew his wand, still not entirely comfortable with the tall, brooding werewolf that he remembered snapping at him angrily over the Easter holidays.

"Why'd you tie him up?" Artemis asked, bending down to pull off her shoes.

"Because he hit me," growled Joshua, tugging off his necktie and starting to pull the ropes away. " _Finite Incantatum_ ," he muttered, lifting the silencing spell and pocketing his wand. "Now remember, you can't say his name anymore. Daisy said it's jinxed."

Hermione gently pushed Ron's arm down. "Harry was probably just trying to go back and help, wasn't he?" she said in a calm, mothering voice.

"Harry was tricked to get him away from the reception, brought here, and had his wand taken," Harry said, voice dripping with sarcasm, as he shrugged the ropes off and angrily adjusted his glasses. "Harry had no idea what was going on, so yeah, Harry hit him."

"One must seize, retain and exploit the initiative," Ron quoted softly, trying to hide a smile.

Hermione shook her head warningly. "Let's maybe not quote Professor Snape right now," she whispered. "Harry," she said solemnly, turning to him, "the Ministry's been overthrown. Scrimgeour's dead and Death Eaters are probably attacking the wedding guests as we speak, looking for you. Daisy asked Joshua to get you away from there as quietly as possible."

"Why didn't you just say that?" Harry asked Joshua, frustratedly kicking away the last of the ropes.

"You wouldn't have come," he replied dryly. "You would have stayed to help fight. And now that you two are here to babysit him," he added, gesturing to Hermione and Ron, "I'm going back to help. Remember, you can't use his name anymore, or you'll bring all them straight to you."

Catherine frowned. "I think Daisy intended for you to stay here. Everyone else was paired up so no one got stuck there on their own."

"I'm not leaving her there," said Joshua firmly, his dark eyes resolved. Turning abruptly, he walked out of the house and past the stone fence, a faint pop echoing back toward the farmhouse as he disapparated.

Joshua landed hard outside the Burrow, the scent of smoke and sulphur from spells filling the air. He began to walk toward the large canopy and almost immediately tripped over a body. Lighting his wand and peering down to make sure it wasn't one of his family, he was taken aback by the gouge ripped out of the neck. A Death Eater mask lay on the ground beside the dead man, his face now frozen in his own death mask of pain and fear.

Joshua felt a little sick to his stomach thinking of a werewolf ripping this man's throat out, then steeled himself. He was the Armour Bearer to the Shield Maiden. If Daisy had been threatened by this man, Joshua wouldn't have hesitated to tear into him. That was what he needed to focus on. Feeling a wave of calm resolve flow over him, Joshua held his wand at the ready, and strode toward the burning tent.

The body flew into him from the left, catching him completely off guard. Joshua hit the ground hard, pinned down by the heavy, furred body of a fellow werewolf. Grumbling, Joshua transformed himself, and heaved the other werewolf off. Nosing his pack mate, Joshua ascertained it was Xavier, and he was still alive, but knocked out.

"Xavier!" Remus yelled, running towards them. He skidded to a stop at the sight of Joshua changing back and pulling out his wand. "Is he alive?" Remus panted, gesturing to the werewolf on the ground.

Joshua nodded, "Yeah, but knocked out. What's going on?"

The red-gold werewolf suddenly scrambled to his feet and stood there dazedly, shaking his head.

"Death Eaters. Arrived just as we got word that the Ministry fell. We've dealt with the ones out here," said Remus. "Time to help inside. I'm assuming Harry's at the house?"

Joshua nodded grimly. "He wasn't happy about it, but he's there. Hermione and Ron are with him."

The three ran to the tent, catching up to Sirius and Xander on the way. They entered a chaotic scene. One end of the canopy was now burning, and smoke began filling the space. Hezekiah and Tonks had found brooms and zoomed overhead, shielding people where they could, firing their own spells, and trying to put out the fire that was consuming the canopy. Chairs littered the area around the dance floor, making it difficult to fight. Joshua looked around for Daisy, trying not to panic when he couldn't see her right away. More bodies than he really wanted to count were already strewn around, but most of them appeared to be clothed in the masks and hoods of Voldemort's followers. The Weasleys had created a red-headed firebreak at one end of the fighting, the seven of them a formidable entity, relentlessly hurling spells. Jane and Hawthorne and Ellie were now grouped together, Kieran bolting in and out of the trio, keeping the Death Eaters from being able to get too close. Jane had both hands gripped on her wand, apparently struggling to control it, but still nailing every spell she threw.

Across the room, Gareth was managing to pretty well hold his own against a brute of a man as Isabel and Daisy dueled a cackling witch. Apparently recognizing that he wasn't going to win on wand skill alone, the hulking Death Eater threw himself forward towards Gareth. A confused look flashed across the blonde's face as he easily sidestepped the move and turned to plant his food soundly on the man's backside, shoving him further forward. The Death Eater crashed headlong into a nearby table and Gareth's wand directed a nearby vase to topple onto the back of his head. The man twitched once and lay still.

At seeing her compatriot fall, the witch let out an unearthly screech and threw the girls backwards with an explosive curse. Gareth steadied himself to face her as out of the corner of his eye he watched Joshua racing towards where Daisy and Isabel had fallen. "Do you even know who I am, boy?" the witch shrieked, raising her wand.

"Bellatrix!" interrupted a sharp voice. "Were you looking for a rematch?" The witch turned to the voice as Gareth looked past her to see Sirius limping towards them, his clothes rumpled and torn. Xander stood at his side, blood dripping from his muzzle, and Gareth wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know if it was his own blood or not.

The witch threw back the hood of her cloak, enchanted Death Eater mask dissolving away to reveal her still handsome face, twisted by insanity and bloodlust. "Anytime, dear cousin!" she cooed. A quick flick of her wand slammed a distracted Gareth to the floor, and he blinked confusedly once…twice…before feeling a warm darkness overwhelm him.

Sirius advanced toward his deranged cousin, his eyes narrowed. She'd almost gotten the best of him once, but he was determined that would not happen a second time. Xander and Xavier flanked him, holding their positions like sentinels as Remus rushed past to see to Gareth. Bellatrix eyed the trio warily. She couldn't attack the werewolves without opening herself up to an attack from Sirius, and dueling Sirius would leave her vulnerable to the werewolves. Finally deciding caution was the better part of valor, Bellatrix shot Sirius a wicked grin and simply disapparated.

* * *

It looked like he was going to surrender, that was the only excuse Kieran could give for not reacting faster. The Death Eater had stopped short at the sight of him and lowered his wand. It was only after the fact that Kieran realized it was Ellie the dark wizard had been fixated on.

"Eleanor," the raspy voice had called. Ellie gasped, and Kieran moved to step between them, but it was too late. The Death Eater threw him backwards with a _Stupefy_ that hit him right in the chest, and grabbed at Ellie, immediately disapparating with her. The next thing Kieran knew, Remus was helping him to his feet. The fight was over. Smoke from the charred tent surrounded them; chairs, tables, and broken glass littered the ground.

"One of them took Ellie," Kieran ground out roughly, his mouth feeling stiff and dry. "He knew her. Called her name."

Remus looked all at once furious and very worried. "Her father and husband are both Death Eaters. She could give away everything about where we are and what we're trying to do."

Kieran gripped his arm, and pulled Remus toward him, his eyes once more that fathomless darkness that appeared when the Alpha rose up. "She won't give them any information that could hurt Finn," he said in a low voice.

"She may not have a choice," Remus replied gently. "I know it's horrific, what happened, but we have to prepare for the possibility that they will use her to get to us."

The battle had ended almost too abruptly. Order members and werewolves stood in the middle of the ruined canopy, looking shell-shocked at the destruction, as some of the men dragged the bodies out. Kieran dropped the last dark wizard's corpse, and stalked away from the tent, pacing under the stars as he replayed those last moments with Ellie over and over again.

Gareth had to be revived with a spell, and was now sitting beside Xavier, both with ice packs charmed to cling to their heads. "Sorry about your wedding," he said to Bill and Fleur, genuine chagrin in his voice.

Fleur let out a musical laugh. "Eet is zem who are sorry, no?" she said, gesturing to the bodies that had been laid out in a row just outside the tent. She closed her eyes and suddenly looked very young and very tired. "I should not laugh. I zenk I am a little hysterical. Eet was a very difficile end to ze evening."

"How many did we lose?" asked Xavier.

"I, uh, I counted six Death Eaters and three wedding guests, but I don't know who they are," replied Xander.

Molly looked around at the mess and straightened her shoulders. "Well, what's done is done. I'll make some tea and then we can start cleaning up." Jane and Madame Delacour followed her into the house to help.

"I'm sure right now or possibly tomorrow Molly will have a nice little break down in the kitchen," said Arthur softly. "Her school friend was killed tonight. First time Molly had seen her in several years."

"Where's Kieran?" asked Daisy.

"Outside," answered Remus. "He's having a difficult time processing what happened."

"Is there any way we can find out where Ellie might be? Try and get her back?" asked Gareth, frowning.

Remus and Sirius glanced at each other. "We've, um…we haven't had what you could call much success at finding people the Death Eaters decide to kidnap," Remus finally said.

"Unless their body gets dumped somewhere," muttered Sirius under his breath.

"Y'all don't have like a wizarding FBI or something?" asked Xander, deep furrows etched across his brow as he belatedly realized his hands were still covered with blood, and he swiped at them ineffectively with a nearby tablecloth.

Tonks attempted a small smile. "We're the closest thing…the Aurors. And you know how useful we've been lately."

"Do you think you need to leave?" Remus asked Arthur. "Find a place to go into hiding? They didn't get Harry tonight, but that doesn't mean they won't be back. Who knows what sort of information they could have on all of us if they've complete access to the Ministry now."

Arthur looked at a bit of a loss. "I'd planned to stay at work for as long as I could," he finally said. "Thought I could throw them off on some false trails, keep my ear to the ground…but now…I don't know."

"I think you should go into hiding," said Sirius, his brow creased worriedly. "Bellatrix will definitely be back. Not only did they not find Harry, she'll see it as a personal challenge to try and get to me, and if your family is in the way…Blimey," he said in surprise, "I sound like Harry. Well, one savior complex in the family is enough," he added, shaking his head. "Arthur, you have to do what you think is best. Just know you're all welcome to stay with us. I'm sure we can make the house bigger. The reality is we probably all have targets on our backs now."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Cheers, for that. You're a ray of sunshine, you are."

"They'll be trying to get to us too," added Daisy. "The Death Eaters that attacked the Muggle family, the Roberts, remember? They said they were looking for us, the children that Greyback turned."

"We really have the most appalling taste in friends," said Fred cheerfully, rolling up his sleeves and pulling off the tie that had come undone quite some time ago.

"Oh quite," agreed George, nudging Isabel, who sat beside him. "Made us all enemies of the state now, haven't they?"

The flippant comment eased some of the tension in the group, which was just what Fred had intended.

"I'm pretty sure you would have managed being an enemy of the state without us," yawned Isabel, stretching her arms up over her head. "Now as Grams says, all this chatter won't get the work done. Let's get this place cleaned up."

"Sirius and I will return to the house with Kieran, Xander and Xavier. The rest of you can work faster just using magic, and that way we'll be on hand…" Remus glanced toward the yard where Kieran paced angrily, "…in case Ellie leads anyone back there."

Daisy offered him a tentative smile. "I think we're safe for now. The warriors aren't on high alert anymore. But you can explain to the others what happened. And I think Kieran will need Finn tonight."

* * *

Lina sat stiffly in the armchair across from Draco and Narcissa. For whatever reason she'd been kept away from tonight's activities. Bellatrix, her brute of a husband, and Lucius had been dispatched with other Death Eaters to interrupt Bill Weasley's wedding and search once more for Harry Potter. Voldemort himself, with a larger contingent, would be going to the Ministry, where the larger number of his supporters were waiting to finally overthrow the government.

Severus had taken a small group of his own to set up his personal reign as Hogwarts' new Headmaster, and Lina suspected he'd intentionally kept her out of it to save her from having to fight any of her former teachers and colleagues. They'd all left while she was down in the basement, facing the disturbing discovery that half a dozen children were living in squalid conditions in one of the most opulent houses in the country.

 _At least these two Death Eaters know how to keep quiet,_ Lina thought to herself, as she slowly raised her tea cup and took a sip. Narcissa's house elf made a nice strong cup of tea, she'd give her that. She also suspected it was the elf, or the elf under Narcissa's orders, that ensured the children imprisoned in the basement were given the food and potions they needed. It had been extremely difficult to extinguish her wand and silently close the door on them. Her mind was whirling trying to think through what they meant and what, if anything, she could do about it.

The heavy front door swung open with a crash and yelling voices. Lina stood quickly to her feet, and faced the doorway. As with all her jobs, Lina wore her wand strapped to her right forearm, which allowed for faster and more discrete casting. She was never more thankful for that practice than right at this moment, as she watched a still-masked Death Eater shove Ellie Burke into the room in front of him. Lina met Ellie's panic-stricken gaze, and read the plea there.

"Claudius, this is hardly the time for personal vendettas," Lucius Malfoy snapped from behind him. "You left before we secured the area."

"I hardly think it matters," Bellatrix chimed in languidly. "I watched how they fought, no one rushed to aid one guest over another. Potter was gone before we arrived, if he'd been there at all. Surely even he can't be so abysmally foolish as to attend a well-publicized pure-blood traitor wedding. Since I missed out on the fun at the Ministry, this may prove just as entertaining. Now, Claudius, do tell. What are your plans for your wayward wifey?" Bellatrix's dark, hooded eyes sparked menacingly, and she licked her lips in anticipation.

"Where is my son, Eleanor?" Claudius Burke asked sternly, as one might address a child.

Ellie glared up at her husband. "I'm not telling you anything," she snapped.

 _No, no, no_ , groaned Lina internally. _That is absolutely the wrong thing to do. Just shut up and try to buy some time._

Ellie's head snapped back as Claudius struck her. Sniffing back some of the blood that ran from her nose, she caught Lina's gaze again. "I can't remember what happened to him," she said firmly. "The last thing I remember is making plans to emigrate to America."

With a roar, Claudius hit her again, knocking her back to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Lina moved forward to help her up. As she bent over the woman, Lina extended her right arm as much as she dared and silently cast _Obliviate_. Ellie's eyes glazed over for a brief moment, and then Lina barged into her mind. _You were planning to emigrate to America with Finn. You don't remember anything that happened after you arrived at the international apparition site. Trust no one._

Lina hauled Ellie to her feet and made a show of pulling back her sleeve and revealing her wand as she cast an _Episkey_ on Ellie's face. "Now, now, Mr. Burke," Lina said dryly. "That's hardly the way to entice your wife to cooperate."

Claudius Burke scowled at her and stepped up close to Ellie's face. "You took my son. Now where is he?" he asked, in a cold, furious voice.

Ellie glared at him again. "You gave our son to a monster," she hissed. "I tried to take him away, but I don't remember what happ—" her voice trailed off into a scream as the _Cruciatus_ curse struck her.

Lina stepped away and glanced up at the ceiling as though bored. Returning to her seat, she took up her teacup again, keeping eyes on the others in the room. Bellatrix watched the proceedings avidly, taking a perverse delight in the woman's pain. Lucius looked bored, and had gone to sit beside Narcissa, who appeared to merely find the whole thing distasteful, as one would find a mouse in the kitchen.

"Have you found pain to be an effective interrogation technique?" Lina asked curiously, raising her voice to be heard about Ellie's screams and pleas. "I've not really found the _Cruciatus_ curse that useful in getting information. As punishment after I've discovered what I wanted, of course, then it's very satisfying. But people aren't often truthful when confronted with pain. They simply say whatever they think you want to hear." She paused to sip her tea.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes at the commentary, and Lina felt a pang in her chest at how the gesture reminded her of Sirius. It was a little disturbing sometimes to see how the cousins were similar, Bellatrix's expressive face, Narcissa's unconscious movements — the way she would pause or tilt her head.

"Pity you can't just read her mind," Lina continued, glancing toward the still screaming woman and then taking another sip of tea. "Bellatrix, I thought Severus told me you were a Legilimens as well."

"No," the woman sneered. "Occlumens, like you. Only the Dark Lord is an accomplished Legilimens. It's an incredibly difficult skill to learn if you are not born with the gift."

"Yes, I would imagine so," replied Lina. A lie of course. Professor Snape had taught her. It was difficult, but not impossible, and that aspect of their skill set was always kept between themselves. "The Dark Lord, of course, could find out everything she knows in a moment," said Lina casually, tilting her head as she pretended to study Ellie like an interesting puzzle. "We could ask him to read her mind, just as a favor." She set down the teacup before her trembling hands could give her away, and began to slide back the sleeve of her left arm. The skin around the skull and serpent tattoo was still pink and raw looking, disclosing how recently the dark mark had been added.

Claudius Burke looked a little ill at the thought of calling Voldemort, and Bellatrix began to sputter. "The Dark Lord can not be summoned for so trifling a matter," she screeched. "Throw her in the basement with the rest of the monsters. Maybe that will jog her memory. Besides, we didn't get a chance to interrogate any of the Blood Traitors about Potter, so we'll have to pop round for another visit, won't we? And Greyback might find it very interesting that those Half-Breeds were in attendance tonight."

"There were only three of them," objected Lucius. "Wherever the rest of the Half-Breeds are holed up, it was not at that odious hovel."

Lina's impassive face did not betray the shock she felt at finally connecting the dots. _Monsters. Of course. The first army disappeared, so they're creating a new one. Those kids are werewolves._

* * *

Sorry that took so long! Soooo much fighting...and that's an area I struggle to write. Huge thanks to Silverhand19 who helped me work out the issues! He writes amazing Lord of the Rings fics and is saved on my favorite authors list, so go check him out. Thank you to everyone who is reading, and a special thank you to my Guest who is so sweet to always take the time and write a review!


	66. Chapter 66

Chapter 66 ~ August, 1997

Rosa, Moody, Ellie — all gone in two months. It was a war; they should probably be thankful they hadn't lost more, and they didn't know for sure if Ellie was dead. But that hardly made anyone feel better. The hardest part was the gut-twisting desire to do _something_ about her, but there was just nothing they could see to be done right now.

The Delacours had left the wedding almost right away, hoping to get back to France through an international apparation site before the Ministry changes trickled down that far. Jane helped Molly and Arthur pack up as much as they could while the others cleaned up the yard and buried the bodies of the Death Eaters. The families they contacted each came and collected the bodies of the wedding guests that had been lost. Arthur and Molly decided to take Ginny and stay with Molly's Aunt Muriel, while Bill and Fleur would set up housekeeping in a safe house Bill had already arranged.

George and Fred had come to stay at the farm and bunk with Ron and Harry in an extra room Sirius tacked on to the house. The twins had shown up unexpectedly two nights after the wedding, soot covered and oddly quiet; a couple of Voldemort's followers, taking exception to their line of Death Eater products, had burned Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes to the ground. Not ones to be subdued for long, they made a quick trip to the deserted Burrow to gather any products and supplies they could find, and set up shop in the large barn, claiming a mail-order business would be just as successful.

No one really said it, but the farm had, in a sense, simply become a new reservation. They were mostly isolated, Remus and Gareth trying as best they could to coordinate with others that had gone into hiding. It had now become a game of sabotage and resist. Arthur and Kingsley, who insisted on continuing to work at the Ministry until they were fired or arrested, tried to pick up whatever information they could and help other families that were under surveillance to go into hiding. Bill and Fleur were marginally safer being employed by Gringotts. The goblins were willing to cooperate with the new Ministry, but had no overarching loyalty to You-Know-Who. That had oddly been one of the hardest changes to make…not being able to call Voldemort by name anymore. Harry started calling him Riddle, and Isabel scathingly referred to him as "What's His Name," while Ron and Fred and George seemed to consider it a personal challenge to see who could come up with the most insulting titles.

Gareth's fingers fumbled as he attempted once more to tie the Windsor knot, and he cursed under his breath. Ridiculous for the tie to upset him. He'd been tying ties for years. They'd always worn them for dancing nights. _And Mamá always stopped and adjusted it before she let me up on stage_ , he thought sadly. A soft knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," Gareth called in a grumpy voice.

Oscar stepped into the room and closed the door. "I just wanted to see if you were ready to go."

Gareth looked up at the reflection of his father in the mirror. "I am," he said, finally securing the necktie. "I wish you were coming too."

Oscar smiled lopsidedly as the muscles pulled against the scars that gouged his face. "This would draw too many questions," he said ruefully scratching at the beard he was now growing in an attempt to cover most of them.

"Maybe I could ask Isabel to come with me," Gareth said, shrugging on his jacket.

"I did wonder," Oscar began slowly, "if Isabel's friend, Deirdre, might accompany you. She is used to navigating both the magical and non-magical worlds."

Gareth shook his head. "She's fairly reserved. I don't think she'd be comfortable there." He shot a sudden suspicious glance at his father. "Papá, are you trying to set me up?"

The older man did not bother to conceal his smug smile. "You have played matchmaker with all of your siblings. Are you not interested in finding your own match?"

"Someday, sure," Gareth shrugged. "Doesn't seem quite the time now. I just…wanted them to be happy, and to have someone else that could watch out for them if something happened to me."

Oscar nodded. "We will ask Isabel to accompany you this evening," he said, changing back to their original subject. "This may be the last time we can risk you attending. If Luis is shuttling funds from the company to Vol— his people, he may now try to move more openly. And since Fernán has not been able to send us any evidence as yet, it could be worthwhile to try and find out what Luis' brother might know. They are sure to be concerned now that most of the liquid assets are gone."

"I think I fielded the questions at Gringotts well enough, but the goblins were definitely suspicious when I withdrew most of the cash and exchanged so much of it. And while they technically don't have to inform anyone of the transaction, they may be in touch with an informant. Hopefully they just thought we were planning to leave the country."

"Yes," said Oscar. "Better they think that, than think we are part of a resistance movement." He needlessly brushed at the shoulder of Gareth's jacket and straightened a lapel. "I know you already know this, but I am very proud of the man you have become. And your _mamá_ was proud of you too."

Gareth swallowed hard against the sudden rush of emotion. "Thank you, Papá. I, um…thank you," he repeated, unable to find the words to try and explain what that statement meant to him.

Oscar smiled in understanding and pulled Gareth into a firm hug. " _Eres mi hijo_ ," he whispered. "Don't let anyone ever try and tell you something different. You are my son."

* * *

Xander woke with a start, his heart racing and the taste of blood in his mouth. He blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the panic of the dream, before sitting up and fumbling for the glass of water beside the bed. _There is no blood, it was just the dream_ , he told himself. Clammy and shaking, he lay back down and pulled the covers up to his chin. Xander was no stranger to violence; he'd spent a few years as hired muscle for smaller criminal enterprises back home, but apparently killing someone was enough to rattle his subconscious. It was just unfortunate that his head had decided to mix up killing that Death Eater with the first month he'd been a werewolf and had attacked his brother. His nightmare self had ripped open the neck of the cloaked figure, only to pull back from the body and see it was Xavier, dead eyes wide with shock and betrayal.

A shudder passed through him as he remembered the scene, and he forced himself to inhale and exhale slowly and silently, matching the rhythm of Xavier's deep breaths in the next bed. He lay there, staring into the darkness for a long while after his heartbeat had returned to normal, regrets swirling through his brain. Finally giving up on the idea of sleep, he threw back the covers and slipped out of bed, bare feet quietly leaving the room and padding down to the kitchen.

The thin strip of light under the door indicated someone else had already sought refuge in the cozy space. Xander stood outside the door for a moment trying to decide if he was in the mood for any kind of company, but his skin began to crawl at the idea of that nightmare taking over his sleep again. _Anything but that_ , he thought, and pushed open the door.

Isabel was there picking out a tune on her guitar, and Xander wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. Maybe it was a sign, this girl playing _Drift Away_ , the same song she'd been trying to learn the first day he met her on the reservation, eleven years ago. "You're the one still up, huh?" Xander asked, coming in and closing the door. "Not spending time with your red-headed boyfriend?"

"Like he'd try to spend time with me in the middle of the night. I know you threatened him," Isabel sassed back, sticking her tongue out at him.

Xander grinned. "Somebody had to make sure he knew what would happen if he wasn't careful."

"Yeah, yeah. You talked to him, Papá talked to him. Kieran and Gareth and Joshua all talked to him, and Jane threatened to cut off his food supply," Isabel announced, ticking them off on her fingers.

Xander snorted. "We're just looking out for you. How was the embassy thing?"

Isabel grinned at him. "Kind of crazy. We were supposed to be kind of keeping tabs on this guy that Papá thought might be using company money to help the Death Eaters. And he must have known we were maybe onto him, because the guy cornered me coming out of the ladies' room. Started asking all these questions about Papá. I mean, I knew what to say, we'd practiced, but…I was sort of pushed up against the wall, and the look in the guy's eyes was just…yuck." Isabel shivered. "That's probably how Catherine felt about that creep from the bar. I was trying to decide whether to pull out my wand or knee the guy when a couple other ladies came down the hall, and he just walked away. Then as we were leaving, he started trying to follow us, so Gareth and I ducked into a taxi and disapparated from there." The girl smiled a little, "Poor cab driver probably thought he was crazy or we'd done something stupid like jump out when the car was moving." Isabel paused as a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Hey, that was my first car ride! Too bad it was only a couple minutes. Anyway…I was still a little wound up, so I thought I'd make some hot chocolate and play for a little while." She nodded towards the stove, where a small pot still simmered. "You need a cup?"

"Yeah," Xander sighed, the sigh stretching into a yawn. "Yeah, I think I do."

"Having a rough night?" she asked sympathetically.

"Well, I'm old enough to have plenty of regrets," he said vaguely, patting her shoulder as he walked past to the stove. He poured himself a mug and returned to the table, sinking wearily into a chair.

Isabel watched him, her brow wrinkled up with concern and questions. "Is that how life goes for everyone?" she asked, her voice just a shade worried. "I mean, can you not get through adulthood without a lot of regrets? All of you seem to have them, and I'm just sort of starting my life and, honestly it's a little disheartening to think about sometimes."

Xander huffed a small laugh, and scratched at the top of his bald head. "Well, kid, I don't know. Most of my regrets are for choices I made because I was being selfish. I wanted more out of life than I thought I could get playing by the rules. I hurt some people living that way."

"People think I'm selfish," Isabel responded in a small voice.

"Nah, kid. They don't. Not really. You and your brothers and sisters really look out for each other, not a selfish bone in any of you."

"Well I don't think you're selfish either…at least not since I've known you. And you look out for your brother too."

The simple, child-like words offered with a smile felt like a sword through his chest, piercing, cleaving flesh from bone. His mug thumped down onto the table, hot chocolate sloshing over the side. Xander swiped at his eyes and gave a fake cough trying to cover up the sudden tears.

Isabel set her guitar off to the side and fished a tissue out of her pocket, passing it across the table. "Grams always said living on the reservation, we had the privilege of being there for people on some of the worst days of their lives," she said quietly.

With her song already at the forefront of his mind, Xander recalled the rest of the memory...

 _Hi!" called the little girl with braided blonde pigtails, waving from the front steps of a small wooden framed house. "Did you just get here? Sometimes I don't get to meet new people until dinner time. We've had a lot of new people this year. Where are you from?"_

 _North Carolina," Xander replied. His body still felt sort of warm and fuzzy from whatever that old lady had done. He hadn't been at all sure her praying would work, but he'd been able to change into his wolf fast enough, seen the spirit wolf, or whatever that thing had been, and all the pain from the full moon a couple days ago was suddenly gone._

 _Want to hear the song I'm learning? I heard it on the radio. Kieran said the guy who sings it is called Dobie. Isn't that a funny name? But Nana says lots of wizards have funny names. We don't though. At least, Kieran says we don't. What's your name?"_

 _Uh, it's Xander, but I'm not a wizard."_

 _Is it short for Alexander? Hawthorne told us about him, he rode a huge horse called Booselafus or something like that. He's going to be our new teacher. Sit down. I'll sing the song for you."_

 _Xander sat a little ways away from her on the steps, leaning back against the post supporting the small porch roof, and closing his eyes tiredly. Xavier had wandered off somewhere, wanting to be alone for a while. The little girl began strumming on a guitar, her childish voice surprisingly soothing as her small fingers fumbled to reach the right chords, "Give me the beat, boys, and free my soul. I wanna get lost in your rock and roll, and drift away."_

 _That was all he wanted, really, to just drift away. Drift away from the nightmare his life had become. Maybe he dozed off, because the next thing he knew the little girl was right in front of him poking his arm. "Shit!" he yelped, jerking back and knocking his head against the post._

 _The girl's brown eyes grew wide and she giggled. "You're not supposed to say words like that. Grams and Nana don't like it."_

 _Well I've been using words like that for twenty years. Don't see how I'm going to stop now," Xander replied grumpily, rubbing the back of his head._

 _The girl looked around before leaning in closer. "Hawthorne uses the word sard. Grams and Nana don't know it's a bad word. So you can use that one if you need to."_

 _Xander studied her earnest expression and realized in that moment the absurdity of the whole situation. He deserved to be in prison, more than that, he deserved to be stuck back in New Mexico on the other reservation, wallowing in guilt over mixing up his brother in this whole mess. And now he was supposedly healed and this little girl was letting him in on some secret swear word, like that was the most mischief anyone could get up to in this place._

 _This reservation safe for kids?" he asked skeptically._

 _The girl grinned wide, showing off a missing tooth. "We're safe for everybody," she said proudly. Then she stuck her hand out in front of his face. "I'm Isabel."_

Xander shook his head at the memory. That sure wasn't the worst day of his life, but Isabel was right. These people had been there for him in a way no one else ever had. He sheepishly sniffed and wiped his eyes with the tissue. "When me and Xavier were on the Southwest Res, we had a really bad full moon. I…I didn't understand what it meant to be infected yet. I only knew how I'd handled prison before. I, uh, I wasn't a lifer, so you start lower in the pecking order. And you can't be a punk, you gotta stick up for yourself. So I show up on this res not knowing anything about magic or werewolves, and start in with my same tough guy routine. Don't get me wrong, back where I'm from I was tough enough. But there…you got way too many people that enjoyed being a werewolf, enjoyed the hunt — chasing people down and killing them. I know everybody says you don't really know what you're doing, but…those people…I think after you live that way long enough it changes you."

Isabel nodded solemnly, eyes wide, as she thought back to seeing Greyback at the werewolf encampment. He'd enjoyed it — the violence, stirring up fear in people.

Xander paused and took a swallow of the hot chocolate. He sat and stared at the frothy liquid for a minute. He'd never told anybody this next part. But confession was good for the soul, right? Maybe if he said it all out loud it would exorcise the nightmares. "They set us up," he finally said. "Kept riling me up before the full moon, 'til I was acting like a complete ass, trying to prove myself. Then they threw me and Xavier in this…like a…an arena type thing. It was a couple hours before the moon rose, so we had all that time to realize what was coming…what could happen. So you add that stress and anxiety into the mix…after we transformed I…I almost killed him," he finished in a whisper.

"I come to and there's blood everywhere. I got banged up pretty good, but Xavier…" Xander cleared his throat and started talking faster, forcing all the words out. "He was bleeding out. I'd torn him right open. I just lost it, started screaming for help. The Healer had just arrived to check everybody, and was able to save him, but when they let me out of that arena I just went berserk. Tried to kill the guys I thought had organized it, and got thrown into solitary. I kept telling them Xavier was a war hero…he deserved something better, even if they left me there. I don't know exactly what made them send us to you. Maybe they figured I was going to be too much trouble. Then that night of the wedding, I killed a guy…ripped his throat out like I could have done to Xavier. I just…I'm having a hard time processing all that I guess."

When he finished speaking, the two of them sat there in silence, Xander wondering if he'd said too much as Isabel stared down at the table, chewing on the edge of a fingernail. "I'm pretty sure I've killed people," she finally said in a quiet voice.

Xander nodded, taking another sip of his cocoa. "Y'all were just kids," he offered. "It's not like you had a choice, or could stop yourselves if you wanted to."

"I don't remember what happened in the last war," Isabel said, dismissively, her brows scrunched together as she frowned. "I was too little. And now…magic's kind of different isn't it?" She looked up at him; Xander's face was drawn and tired. "It's…cleaner maybe? I mean, we're sort of removed from the effects of the spells, so I don't think about it too much, I just keep going until the other guy stops. But you have to be in there, right up close to what's happening. I know I've trained on fighting as a werewolf, but I haven't had to do it yet. I think…I think it's a lot harder, and I think you're really brave."

"Kid, I'm not brave," he said, eyeing her skeptically. "I just have a healthy sense of self-preservation. If it weren't for me none of this would have happened to Xavier. I got him mixed up in the job. He never would have been there otherwise…never would have been bit."

A sudden grin lit up Isabel's face. "Well if it weren't for you, Xavier never would have met Catherine, so I think that evens you up."

Xander snorted. "Maybe."

"Have you told Xavier how you feel? I don't think he's been holding it against you."

"He's not much into sharing his feelings," responded Xavier, ruefully.

"Well, I think for this he would be," said Isabel firmly. "Besides," she went on, her smile becoming a little strained, "I've always thought you were the one most like me, so I need to know you can get through all this war stuff and still be...you. Because if you can, then I can."

"You think you're like me?" Xander asked, raising his eyebrows.

Isabel rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, we're the ones that buck the rules, the ones that can be honorable if we have to, but it doesn't come second nature like with Xavier or Gareth. And that's ok," she added, shrugging. "I figured it's some family quirk. I come from a line of dark wizards. You've probably got some villains in your family tree too. But I was so glad when you showed up at the res…made me feel better about who I was. I didn't have to be thoughtful all the time like Catherine. I didn't have to be sweet like Daisy. I can still be mouthy and go after what I want, and still be one of the good guys. We may have to work a little harder at it, but so what?"

He laughed, a full deep laugh and suddenly felt better about things. Oscar and Rosa had been pretty darn good parents if they could take a personality so much like his own and shape it into the young woman across the table. His laughter trailed off as he thought about the boy more than three thousands miles away. His son. If the boy was anything like him he hoped Greg and Mary Ann had been like Oscar and Rosa.

"Could I ask you something?" Xander said hesitantly. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Isabel's eyes grew round. "You aren't about to tell me you're in love with me like Xavier and Catherine, are you?" she asked, her face mildly horrified.

"Sh—NO!" he choked, his face equally appalled. "Holy cats, kid, why would you think that?!"

"Well I don't know!" she yelped, her cheeks turning red in embarrassment. "We're here sharing these deep dark secrets, and you start to get all shy or something."

Xander took a deep breath and shuddered. "Let's just pretend that didn't happen," he muttered. "I was going to ask that if, somehow you were able to meet your real— well, your birth parents, do you think you'd be able to forgive them?"

Isabel raised her eyebrows. "I don't know," she said, slowly shaking her head. "You know, I always knew Oscar and Rosa weren't my birth parents. They'd talk about Peru and tell stories about growing up there, and then talk about how we came from England. Oscar had visited there a few times growing up, and he'd tell us what it was like. So I thought that was just how families were, the parents got the kids from somewhere else."

She paused and took a deep breath, her eyes suddenly sad. "And then Jane came. The Aurors dropped her off and…she just lost it. She didn't have a wand, but kept yelling every spell she could think of, crying and screaming for them to take her back. Screaming for her son. Marcus had to knock her out with a spell. She was a mess for a while." Tears gathered in her eyes, and Isabel brushed at them impatiently. "And that's when Mamá explained that Jane had a little boy, and she was upset to be taken away from him. I was eight, and it was the first time I'd really thought about the idea that some parents actually wanted to keep their kids and stay with them. So why didn't mine? I mean, who does that to their own kid? Gives them to a werewolf?" She picked up the guitar again and began plucking the strings. "I thought maybe it was my fault. They didn't get rid of Catherine when it was just her, so maybe I was the problem. And sometimes I pretended it was a mistake. That maybe something had happened and we were kidnapped or some evil relative had tricked our parents. But…I think our parents were really just very wicked and selfish people."

She frowned down at the strings and then looked up at Xander. "That's why I don't want to think of myself as selfish, or you either. Because they're the ones who are really selfish. You'd never give up your kid like that."

Xander winced. Maybe not like that, but he'd still given him up. Xavier was probably right. He should let it alone. If Isabel's parents had written a letter or shown up out of the blue he'd have been furious on her behalf. He didn't have any right to expect anything different.

"But," Isabel continued, sniffing a little, "Daisy says not forgiving someone is like drinking poison. You think holding it over them is going to hurt them, but it really just hurts you. So maybe someday I can forgive them."

"Do you think…" Xander leaned on the table, scrubbing a hand tiredly over his face. "Do you think if they ever apologized…would that make a difference?"

Isabel shot him a confused look. "Why do you care whether or not I forgive my…ohhh, wait a minute. We aren't really talking about my parents, are we?" she said, her eyes narrowed. "You want someone to forgive you, so you're asking me— Do you have a kid?!" Isabel whisper shrieked, almost dropping the guitar.

She looked so shocked that Xander wanted to deny it, to say he was thinking about forgiving his own father. But he found himself slowly nodding.

" _Sard_ ," she breathed out, shaking her head. "You never said a word. Well, I guess I understand you wondering about forgiveness," she said unexpectedly. "I wish my last conversation with Mamá had been different. I guess I understand wanting to clear things up, since we could all get killed any day. Does she…or he…know why you were taken away?"

Xander grimaced and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Why had he come downstairs at all? He should have just stayed in bed, suffering alone. "It, uh, it wasn't like with Jane," he said softly. He looked down at the table, unable to meet her eyes as he said, "I've never even met him. I left his mom when I found out she was pregnant."

If he had been looking, he would have seen Isabel's face shift from confused to comprehending to disappointed to awestruck as a shimmering wolf appeared standing behind him.

 _You can stand in the gap for him._ The warm, gentle voice spoke in her head.

 _What does that mean?_ She thought in return, amazed and bewildered at what exactly was happening.

 _Will you offer him forgiveness in the place of his son?_

Isabel stared at the creature. _I'm not sure what I think about that. I mean…I adore Xander. He's like a slightly crazy uncle, more fun than responsible. But…he abandoned his son the way my parents abandoned me…well, maybe not quite the same way, but still…that's not right. Grown ups should act like, well…grown ups._

 _He was your age._

Isabel blew out a breath, ruffling the hair that had fallen into her face. Her age. She'd be a panicky wreck if something like that happened to her. Artemis had been be a wreck and she was a full-fledged adult. "Have you thought about trying to contact him?" she finally said. "Maybe send a letter?"

He dared a glance up at her face. She seemed more confused and sad than judging, but she couldn't quite make eye contact either. "I thought about it, but…well, would you want to hear from your folks out of the blue? I don't want to mess up his life even more."

Isabel nodded. She certainly would be a mess if she got a letter like that, her father trying to justify what happened. "Why do you want him to forgive you?" she said suddenly, the words coming out a little sharper than she'd intended.

This time Xander met her gaze full on, his eyes sorrowful. "I was wrong," he answered simply. "If you're looking for me to give you a good reason for what I did, I can't. I just wish I had the opportunity to tell him that I'm sorry."

 _Be kind to one another, tender hearted, and forgiving of each other. Have you not always looked for ways to make amends when you hurt another? Do you not seek forgiveness when you wrong someone?_

Isabel sighed. The wolf was right. Sometimes it felt like she was always chasing down someone to apologize for saying something without thinking. Then she thought of that sour-looking Professor Snape. Daisy said he needed the forgiveness of someone who was dead. Xander's son may not be dead, but he was certainly unreachable. If Daisy thought forgiveness was possible for Professor Snape it should be possible for Xander too.

She shoved her chair back and came around the table to sit in the chair beside him. "Why don't you pretend I'm him," she said softly.

"What?"

"You can pretend I'm your son and explain everything the way you want to, and apologize."

Xander nodded, looking uncertain and vulnerable. He shifted his chair around to look at her, rubbing his hands nervously up and down his thighs as he cleared his throat. "Right. Um, well…I'm sorry. They seem like pretty small words, but I want, um, to say that I know what I did was wrong." He looked intently into Isabel's eyes, determined to try and do this properly.

The wolf stood nearby, nodding approvingly. There was a strange warmth and humming to the atmosphere, as though the spiritual realm were leaning in to witness the moment. "It wasn't fair to leave your mom to deal with things all by herself. I didn't…I didn't have a dad, growing up. I don't know what happened to him. I guess it's pretty terrible that I did the same thing, but I didn't know how to be a dad." A pained look crossed his face as he forced all the words out. "I had finally gotten away from my hometown, and I didn't want to have to worry about anyone but me…I was afraid you would ruin my life and that I would ruin yours. It was selfish and wrong, and I'm sorry. I'm asking you to please forgive me."

Isabel wasn't sure when she had started crying, but the tears were making steady tracks down her cheeks. She threw her arms suddenly around Xander in a tight hug. "I forgive you," she whispered. And in that entirely unorthodox moment, Isabel felt like maybe a little of her own bitterness had melted away.

* * *

He hadn't been able to sleep, so he heard the soft rattle of the door knob as it turned. Hawthorne was out cold, an occasional snore rattling from his bed. Kieran sat up and squinted in the darkness as the door opened and the small figure made its way over to his bed.

"Daddy?" Finn whispered, holding up his hands. "I s'eep wi' you?"

Kieran lifted up the little boy and cradled him against his chest. One more painful component to his loss, this child who had given him a coveted title he had no right to. He felt the little body begin to tremble as the tears started. "I wan' my mummy," Finn cried, snuffling into Kieran's shirt.

"I know, Buddy. I know," Kieran murmured, rocking the little boy, his own eyes stinging with tears. Kieran continued to rock Finn until he was once again asleep, then he laid the little boy down beside him and covered him up, resting a hand briefly on his tousled head. Sitting on the edge of his bed, Kieran buried his face in his hands, and then got up and began pacing the room. It was his fault, his fault that Finn didn't have a mama here anymore to rock him to sleep or be there when he woke in the night. If only he'd been a split second faster, or hadn't hesitated to take that guy out…

This last week he had swung frequently between heart wrenching grief and ferocious rage. When Hawthorne had laid a comforting hand on his shoulder and tried to speak with him earlier, Kieran had snarled and stalked away. It was foolish, and he'd felt really guilty about it later. Hawthorne, of all people, could understand how he felt; how he was bound, not by claiming, but by his own heart to this woman who had never been free, never been able to be his. What was wrong with him that this was twice now how he'd lost his heart, to women that belonged to other men?

He had hoped…more assumed, that Julia was a one-off. He'd thought she was perfection personified. Golden hair, soft blue eyes, exquisite figure, musical voice, and a husband whose job required far too much travel. Some small part of him had recognized her subtle manipulations, and had chosen to ignore them. After all, she needed help, and he was just out of college and too dumb to know better. Her husband was gone and the shelf in the living room had fallen down. The wind had loosened some of the fence boards. The frame around that window had pulled away.

And the smiles and handshakes as he was leaving had turned into hugs. The hugs had turned into offers of a drink. Drinks had turned into invitations to dinner. Dinner had turned into sex. And sex had turned into an obsessive affair that almost destroyed him. The months with Julia lost him far too many friends and almost ran his father's business into the ground. Only when her husband abruptly announced they were moving to Omaha, and he lost all contact with her, did Kieran feel like he'd woken up from some sort of dream. He'd sworn off all married women after that, throwing himself into rebuilding the company and limiting his social activities to one beer after work with the guys or going to his parents' house for dinner on Sundays.

The first departure from that routine had had been the ill-fated camping trip that included a run in with a werewolf. His buddies had brought him into the hospital raving about a bear attack. The wound had healed and he'd gone on with his life…for a little less than a month. Feeling tired and out of sorts for a couple days, he'd decided to go ahead and stay late to finish up the payroll deposit to take to the bank. Out of nowhere it felt like someone had poured liquid fire into his veins. The pain was excruciating, as he writhed on the floor, clothes shredding around bones that were breaking and reforming. He'd thought he'd passed out from the pain. Only later did he realize what had really happened.

Kieran paced the length of the room once more, but the small activity wasn't enough to absorb the anger and pain and stress building up inside of him. It had been week. A week of not knowing what might be happening to Ellie. A week of trying to gently explain to Finn why his mama wasn't here right now. A week of the little boy waking up and making his way into Kieran's bed to curl into a sobbing, trembling ball against his chest. Taking one last look at Finn's small tousled head tucked up in the covers, he quietly left the room and made his way outside. The quarter moon was bright, and the stars sparkled, which somehow made him feel worse. Transforming, he ran off into the night, running miles out and back until his paws were raw and he could no longer take a full breath.

He transformed back and collapsed in the front yard, breathing heavily. Wiping the sweat from his face he realized it was mixed with a few salty tears, his emotion for Ellie twisted up with confusion and frustration. Why had this happened to him again? A married woman, alone and vulnerable, and he just couldn't keep away. Oh sure, it was different than Julia. Where Julia had used glamor and manipulation to attract his interest, Ellie had done it unintentionally through the warmth of her smile, her soft accent, and her protectiveness of her son. He'd even tried to completely avoid her when she'd first come to the reservation. But he'd been slowly and inexorably drawn in.

Cursing, Kieran slammed his fist into the hard ground. He'd let his guard down for a split second, and now she was gone. Dead? Imprisoned? Tortured? There was no way to know. And Daisy and Isabel had gone on about the warriors protecting them, the spells not finding their targets. Where had Ellie's protection been? Where had his been? That last spell had knocked him halfway across the room.

He wasn't sure when he realized Daisy was silently sitting on the ground nearby. Torn between embarrassment at her seeing him in this state and anger at the idea that her warriors had let them down somehow, Kieran ignored her, staring off into the distance.

"Grief doesn't have set pattern, you know," she finally said in her soft voice. "It's not one week of sadness, followed by four days of anger, maybe two days of regrets, and then it's over. It's more like a leaf being buffeted by the wind. Sometimes it blows you all over the place, sometimes you can float along peacefully for a little while, and sometimes you're thrown to the ground. Sometimes all that happens in the same hour."

"Why was she taken?" Kieran asked, his voice rough with tears and exhaustion. "You said the warriors were protecting us. So why was I hit? The other spells were…were being deflected somehow, but not that last one. If that spell had bounced off like the others, I could have reached Ellie in time."

"Kieran, you know I don't have all the answers. I only know as much as the warriors are allowed to tell me. That's why we need faith. Sometimes the Creator allows things to happen because we can't see how all the parts of our lives are going to play out. That's why we have to trust that things are…are woven together for good."

"Like Rosa's death?" The words came out too sharp, and almost made Kieran flinch as they left his own mouth.

Daisy looked at him for a long moment, her eyes sad, but also understanding. It surprised Kieran probably more than it should have when she came and wrapped her arms around him, as though she could pour all her empathy into him. Kieran felt the tension leave his muscles, as he relaxed into the embrace, and rested his cheek on the top of her head. "I can't lose her," he whispered, his voice choking on the words.

"Ellie is not dead," Daisy said firmly. She pulled away and looked up into his eyes. "The warriors would have told me that. I don't know who took her, or why, but no one has come after us yet, so I don't believe the Death Eaters know where we are."

"I think I should step down as Alpha," Kieran said abruptly. "My head's not in a good place right now. I can't…I can't be who you need me to be. Gareth is better at strategizing and battle plans, anyway. He—"

"Gareth is not ready," said Daisy softly. "And Alphas are not chosen because they can strategize. You were chosen because you care for your people and are willing to do whatever you are required to do. And that is who we still need."

Kieran rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I'm sorry for snapping about Rosa. I'm just so angry. And I feel so helpless. My job is to protect the pack, and I couldn't."

Daisy sighed and hugged him again. "I don't know why Mamá had to die that night. I don't know why Ellie was taken. But I have to have hope. I have to trust that even those things can be used for good somehow…And your wolf says that no, you're not ill fated to only ever want what you can't have. Sometimes what we want isn't good for us, and sometimes it's just that the timing isn't right."

She felt Kieran stiffen and bit back another sigh. "Kieran, I don't know what that means, but you clearly do. Think on it. Don't doubt your worth, or your abilities."

She felt his hand squeeze her shoulder as she turned to walk away. "Daisy," he said in a gruff voice. "Grams made a very wise decision in passing her gift on to you. Don't ever doubt your place either."

* * *

Anybody else tearing up a little, or is that just me? Thank you so much to Charis77 and my very faithful Guest for being such thoughtful and excellent sounding boards! Thank you to my other guest reviewer as well! I so, so, so appreciate the feedback. :)


	67. Chapter 67

Chapter 67 ~ August, 1997

"Oregano belongs after basil, but before rosemary," the deep raspy voice mumbled to itself as Kreacher rearranged the spices on the shelf. "Then thyme…no, coriander goes back here…"

After more than a month of the old house elf debating the best way to order the spices, he'd finally settled on alphabetically, much to Jane's relief. The first two weeks they'd lived on the farm Kreacher had insisted they be arranged according to frequency of use, and she could never manage to find the ones she wanted to use only occasionally. The two opinionated personalities had eventually reached a tentative compromise, Jane allowing Kreacher to order the kitchen as he liked as long as he stayed out of the way when she was flying around preparing meals.

Jane was, presently, sitting at the table and scribbling a shopping list furiously across a scrap of parchment, "I swear, all these boys…I've never seen such appetites, even after more than ten years of feeding werewolves!"

Artemis laughed, and continued kneading bread dough at the far end of the table, a small cloud of flour rising around her. "Admit it, you like the challenge."

Jane grinned. "True. It's kind of an exercise in creativity." Her eyes narrowed as she watched the merciless pounding going on at the counter. "Watch that, or the rolls will be tough…What's wrong?"

"Nothing," answered Artemis, looking at Jane with what almost passed for an innocent expression.

"Nonsense. You're worried about something. You didn't even try to make them with magic, and kneading's a great way to take out frustration."

Artemis heaved a sigh and landed one more thump on the dough before starting to divide it into bread rolls. "I'm just worried about Harry. He and Remus and Sirius have been holed up for days trying to work out a way to fight Vol—ugh, _that guy_."

"Poor Mistress, worried about the Dark Lord's enemy, Harry Potter," muttered Kreacher. "Nasty Half-Blood." With the dough divided into more or less even lumps on the pan, he took the tray from Artemis and shuffled over to the oven, shoving it in and closing the door with a clang.

Jane snorted and Artemis shook her head exasperatedly. "Kreacher, the Dark Lord is a Half-Blood too. Anyway…all magic is a gift, it doesn't matter who someone's parents are, none of us earned our magic."

"I overheard them talking about a prophecy," said Jane. "What's that all about?"

Artemis shook her head. "Something about the Dark Lord marking him as an equal, but he'll have power the Dark Lord doesn't know...and neither can live while the other survives…"

"Well that's…ominous. Does Harry have special powers?" asked Jane suddenly. "What kind of power does it mean?" Her shopping list lay forgotten on the table as she leaned forward, chin propped up in her hand, her hair a tumbleweed of black curls escaping a soft lilac colored scarf.

"Professor Dumbledore thought it was love," Artemis said, brushing the excess flour off her hands over the sink. "His mother sacrificed herself for him, which was apparently what caused the curse that was supposed to kill Harry to rebound."

Jane scrunched up her face. "But…lots of people have sacrificed themselves for others through the ages. I've never heard of that creating some special sort of power before."

Artemis shrugged, but stayed quiet. She'd wondered if the knowledge of the horcruxes was what it meant, but Harry didn't want them discussing the horcruxes with the others in the house.

The pen in Jane's hand taped idly against the worn, scrubbed tabletop. Four pine trestle tables had been bought from various markets and were jammed into the kitchen, barely providing enough seating for everyone. The patchwork family had tried to eat their meals at the table Kieran had built in the dining room, but since that room also functioned as a library and meeting room, the table was usually scattered with books, parchment, and Remus' journals and notes, and it was less trouble to cram everyone in the kitchen than to get Remus to corral his work.

"I wonder if it means us?" said Jane thoughtfully.

"Us how?"

"Well, having a pack of werewolves on your side that can transform and fight whenever you need them to is pretty unheard of. Everything you've learned about the Creator and the warriors is stuff You-Know-Who doesn't know." Jane paused to make another note on her list.

"Half-Breeds fighting Miss Belatrix's family," growled Kreacher. "Bold as brass thinking they're anything half as good as the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Now Kreacher, we talked about this," said Artemis firmly. "Master Regulus changed his mind and decided to fight the Dark Lord. So we are going to try and change our minds about werewolves and blood status as well, aren't we?"

"Yes, Mistress," Kreacher said grudgingly. Then he seemed to brighten somewhat. "Kreacher will make some soup. Mistress Ana is grown enough, and the wee beastie will like it. It will stretch Miss Jane's meal."

"That would be lovely, Kreacher, thank you," said Artemis as she started to put all the baking supplies away. "You know, I hate prophecies. Let's take something simple and wrap it in cryptic words that could mean any number of things, and hope everyone that needs to can understand it. Ridiculous."

Jane smiled. "You only think that because Remus' prophecy worried him so much he wouldn't ask you out. What did that one say, again?"

Artemis glared at her while she scrubbed at the table top and quoted the old Roma woman's words, "Raven-haired and strange of speech, she will release the captive wolves and restore the bonds once broken."

"All right, that ending is a little cryptic," admitted Jane. "What broken bonds have you restored?"

"I thought maybe it was giving Remus a pack," shrugged Artemis. "Sort of restoring the brotherhood he had with Sirius and Harry's dad and Peter before the last war."

"That makes sense," said Jane, nodding, as she looked back over her list. "Although I wonder if we can't really know what it means until everything's over…"

* * *

The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom felt cold and grim, despite the reasonably warm August day. Lina looked over it dismally, it was as though the room knew it was being twisted and warped away from its original purpose. The entire castle had seemed to withdraw into itself; hallways were still and quiet as many paintings had been removed and placed in storage, those remaining spoke only in hushed whispers when no sign of school staff was in sight.

With a sigh, Lina pushed back the sleeves of her robe and withdrew her wand. Instead of teaching children to defend themselves against darkness, she was tasked with exposing it to them as if it were a delicious and tantalizing treat. She might as well try and make the room look appealing. A strange uneasiness settled on her. No, that wasn't right. Surely there was a way to present the material in such a way as to say the correct words and still point the children to the light. If she and the room were as unappealing as possible, the students would be less drawn to her classes and the subject matter. Yes, that was better, Lina nodded firmly, taking out a stack of books to arrange on the nearest shelf.

 _A second being in the room also nodded in satisfaction. Over the years she had more than once almost despaired over her charge. Not really, of course...despair wasn't an option. The One Who Sits on the Throne is sovereign over all. But her charge had been such trouble. For years her whispers and nudges had gone unheard. And even when she knew she was being heard, she was ignored. But eventually that changed. The conflicted man presently making his way to this classroom was the turning point. His warrior had recognized they could perhaps help one another, and the two had interceded accordingly. And so the conflicted man was encouraged to aid her charge, giving wise counsel and protection. And her charge responded with trust and honor. Both charges had been tempered and strengthened by the relationship. She noticed long spidery legs creep in through the window and attempt to scurry up the wall, and quickly withdrew her sword to dispatch it. "You will not bring your evil whispers here today," she addressed the foul creature. "These charges will not fail nor be forsaken." The sword sliced through the enemy, body disintegrating into formless vapors that quickly dissipated. Today their charges' relationship would undergo another slight change. Mistrust and isolation were tools of the enemies. Today they would push for understanding and unity._

The door was flung open without warning, revealing Hogwarts' newest Headmaster, looking uncharacteristically frazzled.

"Hello my lover," Lina said, managing somehow to sound sarcastic and alluring at the same time. "Trying day?"

"Nothing your charms can't rectify," he responded, slamming the door closed behind him and locking it. He then darted a glance over his shoulder and up at the ceiling. "I think Peeves was following me," he added by way of an explanation, rubbing the back of his neck wearily.

"That was almost a clear innuendo. I think you're getting better at this," Lina said wryly.

Severus made a face at her before dropping into a nearby chair. "You don't happen to have tea made?"

"No, but I have some of your nettle wine here somewhere," Lina offered, beginning to dig though an open trunk.

Severus transfigured a nearby quill into a glass and Lina poured him a good amount, before returning to her book arranging. Taking a long swallow, Snape's eyes fluttered closed in appreciation. "Here we are, ready to begin another long year of regrets," he said, lifting the glass in a half-hearted toast.

"I don't have any regrets," she replied mechanically.

Snape stared at her, dark eyes unblinking. It was like being called to account in his office during school. How many times had they stood like this, two serpents waiting to see which one of them would strike or withdraw first? It was always her, she realized suddenly. He was capable of waiting as long as necessary for her to offer excuses for her behavior, and then dole out the necessary punishment based on how truthful he thought she'd been and if her behavior was in any way justified. Intimately acquainted with all manner of detentions the school could dish out, over her seven years as a student she'd gotten better at waiting him out, but she still always spoke first. And there was always the tiniest glint of satisfaction in those cold eyes when she did. It had almost become a bit of a game.

"But…I'm starting to think I will have before this is all over," she added, seeing that glint light up his eyes for a moment. It almost made her smile, allowing him that small victory.

"You will regret losing Black…is that it?"

Lina narrowed her eyes. "You regret losing Lily."

The atmosphere in the room became frosty, and Lina braced herself for recriminations. That was certainly pushing their familiarity too far.

"Yes," he finally said, the tension evaporating. "I have spent over twenty years wallowing in my regrets." He face looked strangely young and uncertain for the briefest of moments before he closed himself off again, taking another sip of his wine.

"I think you've paid as much as you were able to for your regrets," Lina said sternly, wanting in some way to validate him. "You loved her, and Dumbledore used that to get you to help him."

"Love…" he muttered derisively, moving to stand at the window, staring off across the grounds. "What Albus Dumbledore knew of love was a charade; sentimentality intertwined with a desire for power and as many regrets as I have."

 _Well…this is becoming quite candid._ Lina studied him. The new Headmaster cut a rather impressive figure these days. She naturally took full credit for dragging him out more over the past month, forcing exposure to a feeble British sun that gave his normally sallow skin a healthier tone. She'd also compelled him to trim his hair and stop using whatever horrific concoction he thought he needed to keep it slicked back out of his face. But more than that, was the way he carried himself. Since Dumbledore's death Severus was essentially the one running their op. There was no one else to report to or take orders from. And the mantle of leadership suited him.

Supposing he needed to exorcise his feelings for some reason, Lina decided to push the conversation. "Did you not love her? Have you really only been trying to assuage your guilt for disclosing the prophecy?"

He stiffened, she knew he was warring with himself, trying to decide whether to open up or end things here. A slow understanding dawned on her…Severus Snape had no one. She'd known that in a factual, academic sort of way. Only child, parents dead, no friends. He was standoffish with his colleagues at Hogwarts and clearly couldn't trust any other Death Eaters…except her. Maybe it was foolish not to have realized it sooner, but sometime over the past few months, he'd come to see her as a friend, not just an ally or protege.

"I…I think I did love her, at least…as much as I knew how."

"That sounds dangerously introspective."

His voice had hinted at vulnerability and she needed to give him an out, a place to stop this line of conversation before it became uncomfortable, but Severus offered her a rare, dry smile as he returned to his seat. "I have, to my great displeasure, found myself lately facing this danger almost willingly."

Lina perched on the edge of her desk. _That statement is just begging to be expounded upon. Darn you, Artemis for teaching me how to be a friend and care about people,_ Lina groused, as in the same moment she could almost hear Artemis' answer, _Oh please, you've always cared. You just didn't know how to show it_.

"And just what sort of benefits has your introspection yielded?" she asked, trying to keep her tone light. "I try to avoid too much introspection myself."

He glanced at her, then back down at his wine glass. "Never mind," he said softly. "There will be time enough for that if we survive this. Have you had any opportunity to search for the horcruxes?"

"Very little," Lina said, frowning. "Unsurprisingly, the ghosts and portraits are reluctant to speak with me, no matter how innocuous the question."

"Yes, that's to be expected," Snape acknowledged, his long fingers tapping thoughtfully on the chair arm.

"Sir, I also wanted to talk with you about the children being held on the Malfoy Estate. Surely there's some way to…"

"Miss Laurent, I did not expect emotion to override your ability to reason," Severus responded brusquely, his hand tightening on the stem of the glass. "There are anti-apparation wards surrounding the Malfoy property. And we have no way of knowing where the Order has set up their new headquarters to deliver the children if we did manage to get them away. Furthermore—"

"Furthermore, how would we explain a room full of werewolves disappearing without having someone else take the fall," Lina finished. "My ability to reason is quite satisfactory, thank you."

"I was there last evening, and apparently Eleanor Burke is handling their care at present, and your obliviation seems to have held."

Lina nodded, feeling some measure of relief at that news. "Come," said Snape, setting aside the now empty wineglass and rising from his chair. "We must join the rest of the staff for dinner."

"Ugh, I wish we could all just eat in our rooms. Those dinners are so uncomfortable." Lina slid off the desk and straightened her robes. "I don't have any cobwebs in my hair, do I?" she asked, hands smoothing her severely pinned hairstyle.

"None that I see. And you know quite well that we eat meals together to further our own little charade and give the staff less time to discuss or plan any ill-conceived attempts to rebel," he said, offering her his arm as he prepared to open the door.

"Yes, but I feel like the Queen of Hearts attending one of the Mad Hatter's tea parties," she sighed, linking her arm in his. "But once more into the breach, Sir."

* * *

"Stop!" shouted Joshua, waving his hand in front of his neck for Xavier to kill the engine. Xavier climbed down from the cab of the combine and joined the tall, dark-haired young man crouching down in front of the enormous machine. "I think the blades are too high," he said, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his arm.

"I can adjust the header," said Xavier, turning to climb back in. He froze as the front of the machine lowered itself slightly at his words. "I told Hezekiah making it respond to speech was a bad idea," he grumbled, pulling himself up in to the cab. "The thing's not even running. It shouldn't move on it's own. Next time I say we go back to doing it the old-fashioned way. I don't know that I trust this thing to just do what it's told."

Joshua chuckled. "The old fashioned way where we had magic scythes flying around? I'm not convinced that's much safer."

"It's quieter," Xavier responded, with half a smile. "Have you talked to the mill yet?"

"Matthew Roberts, the man who owns that fruit orchard, is going to handle it," replied Joshua, shaking his head. "Papá and Kieran thought it was more prudent not to draw attention to ourselves. He's going to see to selling it, and then Gareth set up a non-profit in his name. We'll deposit the money there and then Mr. Roberts can use it to help the other pack or run his safe house if we have need of it. We'll keep a little grain back for us to use and then sell the rest. And Catherine said she could add a little to the cow's feed."

Xavier huffed a laugh. "That cow. She's calling it Mathilda, and already treating it like a pet."

"She's always wanted one, heaven knows why. Well done on your date, by the way. She couldn't stop talking about it."

A self-satisfied smile crossed Xavier's face. "It was a lot of fun. Never thought I'd be saying something like that. Back home I always thought the county fair was just plain dull. But seeing it through Catherine's eyes made this one pretty special."

Joshua nodded. "She'll probably be trying to enter her own animals next year," he laughed. "And speaking of next year maybe we'll just try an acre of wheat, and then see about putting in some oats and barley."

Xavier studied him for a moment. "Are you thinking this war will be over by then and we can sell the excess?"

Joshua shrugged, his eyes solemn. "Or this drags on and we have even more people to feed."

They were interrupted by a yell from across the field. Isabel was jumping up and down waving from under a nearby tree. "Maybe they brought lunch," said Joshua, heading towards her. "I'm starving."

Xavier climbed back out of the cab and turned to follow him, casting a skeptical glance at the large combine as he shoved the keys in his pocket. Under the tree at the the edge of the field, all the young people were gathered in a boisterous crowd around several enormous picnic baskets.

"Papá sent Remus out to buy brooms for us!" Isabel called excitedly. "George and Fred and Harry and Ron are going to teach us to fly!"

Joshua's dark eyes flashed with excitement as he went over to Daisy and placed a light kiss on her cheek. "I bet you're a natural," Daisy said delightedly, almost bouncing in anticipation.

"I bet we all make fools out of ourselves at first," he replied good-naturedly.

"So how do we start?" asked Isabel, flourishing her broom.

"No, no, no," said Joshua, shaking his head. "Food first. Xavier and I have been wrestling with that combine all morning."

"Hear, hear!" agreed Ron. "Fred and I weeded the garden and tried to keep Crookshanks from pestering the chickens all morning."

"Ron, he wouldn't actually hurt the chickens," said Hermione, her voice holding no real irritation at the old familiar argument.

"That bloody beast is nothing but trouble," Ron continued. "Why you ever thought buying him was a good idea—"

"Yes, it's terribly shocking," interrupted Isabel in a sarcastic voice. "He's a grumpy ginger, whatever could Hermione see in him?"

The Americans tried to cover their laughter to be polite, but Fred, George, and Harry had no such scruples, the three of them almost falling over at Ron's face shifting from insulted to confused to shocked. He turned towards Hermione who had blushed prettily, and was busy unpacking the picnic baskets and trying to ignore all of them.

"I'm…I'm not that grumpy…am I?" he asked hesitantly, his neck turning a bright pink that clashed horribly with his hair.

"Of course not," Hermione replied, still focused on the basket in front of her. "And neither is Crookshanks."

Ron looked to Harry in a sort of confused desperation. "Go on," Harry mouthed, jerking his head toward Hermione. "While Ron and Hermione are dealing with setting out the lunches, why don't the rest of you circle around here and we'll go over some basic stuff about flying," Harry said, neatly turning the conversation.

"Well, lunch with this crowd is shaping up to be pretty entertaining," Xavier murmured to Catherine, as she came up beside him carrying a smaller basket.

"Not for you," she said, holding the basket out to him. Catherine tilted her head towards the woods, away from the wheat fields and laughing teenagers. "If you'll just follow me please."

"To the ends of the earth," he said in a low voice, reaching for the basket.

"Such a romantic," Catherine laughed, half embarrassed and half pleased. "We're actually not going quite that far today." She took his free hand, intwining their fingers, and pulled him away from the excited soon-to-be-fliers.

A soft breeze kept the day from being too warm as they found a patch of open grass nestled among tall alder trees. Catherine spread a blanket down and unpacked the lunch for two. Xavier watched her closely as she handed him packets of food to set out. She looked tired. With Ellie gone, Catherine was studying frantically to learn as much first aid and triage care as she could, in addition to all her regular jobs. She'd added books about healing potions to her stack of No-Maj medical books, figuring even if she couldn't make them, she could learn which ones to purchase and how to best use them. Daisy had volunteered to focus on learning healing spells, to help fill the gap, but they knew they were pinch hitting at best, not having Ellie's years of extensive, focused training. It was a daunting prospect, to keep sending their friends and family members out to fight, knowing they were so limited in their ability to help if something went wrong.

Reaching the bottom of the basket, Catherine pulled out one last item, and passed it to Xavier. He took the leather journal and looked at Catherine questioningly. "Do you want me to read poetry out loud or something?" he asked, not entirely opposed to the idea. Her quiet disposition would certainly have inspired those old guys he'd studied in school He'd even had to memorize one of them once, _she walks in beauty like the night…_ something like that. He didn't remember much of it now, but it had ended with _a mind at peace with all below, a heart whose love is innocent._ That phrase had stuck with him, and certainly seemed reflected in the girl he now studied.

"No, it's not poetry," Catherine said. She bit her lip shyly. "I, um, made a…a sort of scrapbook of all the places we could visit together someday. I only used half the book," she went on hurriedly. "to do the places I'd like to go. I thought you could fill in the rest with places you'd like to go."

Xavier looked down at the book, speechless. He ran his hand reverently over the simple leather cover and cleared his throat. Most days he still wasn't one hundred percent convinced that Catherine choosing him was the right thing for her. But this…she was giving him the world, her world, and he was more than convinced she was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

"This, uh, this is probably the most wonderful idea I've ever heard of," he said sincerely. He flipped open the first page where FRANCE was printed in large letters. The pictures and notes that followed described lavender fields and grape vineyards, fishing villages and cheese makers. Country life took up more pages than the few art museums she'd apparently added as an afterthought, and he wasn't surprised.

Over their simple lunch they went through the book, discussing Norwegian fjords, Jane's neighborhood in New York City, Egyptian pyramids and camel rides, and the Peruvian Cordillera, mountains trailing down to Oscar's family home in Lima on the Pacific coast. On the last page she'd done, Xavier again found himself speechless. His calloused fingertips ran over the words, Black Mountain, North Carolina; the pages describing the gentle tree-covered Appalachian Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway, art festivals and folk music featuring mountain dulcimers. Home. That elusive place he'd tried to get away from and yet was always searching for.

Catherine searched his face a little hesitantly. "I know you always wanted to get away, and we wouldn't have to stay long, but…I would like to see where you're from. What you and Xander brought to our family, I sort of feel like it's part of us as well, as much as Jane's New York or Papá's Lima. I…want to get to know that part of you better."

Xavier grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. "There's nothing like the Blue Ridge Parkway for a road trip," he said softly. "I'd love to take you there." Catherine beamed at him, and they finished their lunch in relative quiet, enjoying the bird song and rustling leaves, having found in one another that truism that he who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words.

* * *

As the month drew to a close, Hawthorne's scholarly temperament was secretly recruited to research ways they might destroy the horcruxes, and he was frequently sequestered in the dining room study with Remus and Hermione pouring over old tomes. Isabel was delighted to discover the project she and George had been working on was one of the few things he'd managed to save from the fire at the shop. It had gotten a little banged up in the process of being shrunk down and shoved in his pocket as he and Fred escaped the burning building, but the two were making great progress on the instrument. Kieran was still struggling terribly with Ellie's disappearance, and more than once had lost his temper with Remus or Gareth over their apparent lack of progress in hunting her down. But Finn's insistence on dealing with Kieran as his default parent helped him stay grounded in the midst of everything. Chores were divided among everyone in addition to regular training sessions with Alec McIntyre's pack, and the group had settled more or less into a routine.

The last Sunday in August had dawned sunny and warm, and everyone had scattered to the outdoors, as though they knew they had to soak up each peace-filled moment. Artemis sighed contentedly, leaning back against the aged trunk of a large oak tree, its rough outer bark having weathered decades, maybe even centuries. She trailed her fingers through Remus' hair as he stretched out on the ground, his head in her lap. He'd brought a book to read, but it lay forgotten on his chest as he'd drifted off to sleep under her gentle caress. Ana lay on her tummy nearby, working hard at pushing herself up and making attempts to army crawl towards her stuffed wolf, just out of reach. Babbling happily, she succeeded in shifting forward enough to grab the little toy and promptly shoved it in her mouth. Artemis made a small amused sound, and reached out with her free hand to run it through Ana's soft black hair.

A perfect moment in the midst of a very imperfect world. Never in her wildest dreams would Artemis have envisioned this future when she first walked through the front door of Twelve Grimmauld Place over two years ago. Remembering that day directed her thoughts naturally to Severus and then to Lina. Artemis fervently hoped she was safe. She had sent one brief letter to the post box in Belgravia just after she and Sirius had seen her in Little Whinging, but when she'd received no response, assumed Lina knew best as to how safe communication was. But Artemis was going a little stir-crazy feeling like she wasn't doing enough to help. Maybe she ought to try to contact Lina once more…

She looked down at Remus, the lines around his eyes relaxed in sleep, and felt a pang of guilt. She hadn't told him about that first letter, and probably wouldn't tell him about this one if she decided to write it. He was firmly convinced of Severus' guilt regarding Dumbledore's death, Harry had witnessed the whole thing after all, and while he had ceased painting Lina as equally guilty for her choice that night, he would never be persuaded that it was safe to trust her. No, whatever steps Artemis might take to contact her and try to exchange intel would have to be done on her own.

* * *

** Thank you all so very much for reading! I really appreciate each one of you following along with the story!


	68. Chapter 68

Chapter 68 ~ September, 1997

The dining room was silent but for the occasional turn of a page or the scratch of a quill tip or pen across paper. Harry, Hermione, Remus and Hawthorne were once more gathered around the piles of books, looking for some clue or suggestion that might help their quest to destroy the one horcrux they'd secured, or find another.

"This is ridiculous," muttered Harry, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Over the course of centuries, no one's managed to find a counter-curse to destroy a bloody horcurx?!" Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but closed it again at Harry's glare. "Yes, Hermione, I realize the whole point of making a horcrux would be to have them practically invincible," he replied to her unsaid comment, sounding more tired than annoyed.

"I think," Hawthorne began slowly, setting aside his pen and looking solemnly at Harry, "that it might be time to spread our net a little wider."

Harry could already tell he wasn't going to like whatever the man suggested. When Remus initially brought Hawthorne Endress into what Sirius had dubbed their 'study group,' Harry found him a less boring version of Professor Binns, with a dash of Arthur Weasley thrown in. The scholarly man had difficulty pulling himself back to the present moment if his reading was interrupted, and did sometimes drone on about historical details that Harry couldn't quite see had anything to do with their research. He was kind and earnest, but honestly seemed a little too bookish to be helpful in real world situations. Hermione thought Harry was crazy, and stoutly said Hawthorne was easily the most fascinating man she'd ever talked to, even if she wasn't completely convinced of the Roman Hypothesis.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry reluctantly.

"I think it's a little short sighted to continue to keep our research here a secret from the rest of the household. Perhaps what we need is a larger brainstorming session. You and Sirius and Artemis are more men of action, if you'll pardon the male-centric phrase. Remus and Hermione and I are thinkers. Between all of us we haven't yet arrived at a satisfactory solution. The others could provide a completely different point of view and maybe see a solution that we haven't even considered."

Harry's face took on a slightly mulish expression. "The more people know about this, the greater danger there is of Riddle finding out what we're up to," he began to protest.

"And the more people there are who will not give up seeking and attempting to destroy these cursed objects."

"But what could they really contribute?" Harry protested. "No offense, but the rest of you have been locked away for years. I appreciate that you have a…a historical perspective and research skills, but…"

"It is a story not often told in this country," Hawthorne began and Harry almost groaned and slammed his head down on the table, but ten years of teaching Isabel had given Hawthorne a steel spine, and he continued placidly, "but before your founders established Hogwarts, the idea of a magical school had already been put forth by an earlier sorcerer, none other than the great Merlin himself."

"Really?" asked Hermione excitedly. "I'd never heard that. They certainly don't mention it in _Hogwarts: A History_."

"I'm sorry, but I don't really see—" Harry began.

"Why didn't Merlin ever start a school?" Hermione interrupted.

"Ah, that story is not fully known," said Hawthorne. "When Merlin walked the earth magic was still wild and non-magical people were divided on whether this magic would ultimately prove good or evil. But legend tells us that Merlin, the sorceress Morgana, and their royal patrons, King Arthur and Queen Guinevere were prepared to found a school that would not only train up those who were innately gifted with magic, but attempt to teach magic to anyone who desired it."

"Even Muggles?" Hermione whispered delightedly.

"Even Muggles," nodded Hawthorne, his eyes twinkling.

"Look, that's great—" Harry started again, but it was Remus who interrupted him this time.

"Harry, what Hawthorne is getting at is that everyone has something to contribute. They may have been…out of circulation for a while, but they will each still have their own experiences and knowledge that may be beneficial. I agree with him, I think we need to have a pack meeting."

"But maybe we should see what Sirius…"

Remus raised his eyebrows. "Sirius loves pack meetings. He sees them as...I believe his words were, 'quite a lovely gossip fest.'"

Clearly overruled, and admitting they had made little discernible progress beyond coming to an agreement than Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem was a likely horcrux prospect, Harry simply shrugged.

They decided to bring up the topic after dinner, when tea and coffee and dessert might take the edge off the grim nature of the task. The initial announcement and explanation of the nature of horcruxes was still so shocking, that it took a great deal of time to settle everyone down to actually hold some semblance of discussion.

"So he murdered seven people to create these things with some sick sort of blood magic!?"

"Just six people, the seventh part is still inside him."

"That's hardly better."

"I'm sure he's killed way more than that, those six were just for the horcruxes."

"You'd think having magic to do so much, y'all would be more civilized, but…"

"So there's seven…"

"What are they again?"

"The necklace, a tiara, the basilisk that Harry already killed…"

"No, some other snake. The basilisk was what destroyed the diary."

"Do most teenage boys keep diaries?"

"NO."

"I did…but not an evil one."

"Really? What did you put in it?"

"Nothing that's of any concern to you."

"So it's the diary, and the necklace, the tiara, the snake…"

"There was a ring, but it's already been destroyed, so we're down to six."

"Five, Harry destroyed the diary too."

"Ok five. The necklace, the tiara, the snake, and what?"

"Helga Hufflepuff's cup."

"What kind of cup?"

"What?"

"Well, like a cup you drink out or or a cup like you win at a horse race?"

"Umm…I guess smaller than a cup you'd win, but with two handles, so not like a teacup."

"So the cup, the tiara, the necklace, the snake and the big man himself? Those are the five pieces of his soul left to destroy?"

"Gosh that sounds harsh…destroying somebody's soul."

"He's the one that's already destroyed his soul. We're making sure those pieces are just…disposed of properly."

"Right," said Remus, trying to rein in the conversation. "Even though we think we've identified the horcruxes, finding them is certainly the more difficult task. We already have the locket, so our first priority is destroying it. Obviously it is heavily enchanted, and everything we've tried so far has been ineffective. Harry has proven that basilisk venom will work, but we don't have a basilisk. Hermione read that _Fiendfyre_ is also sufficient, but that presents it's own problems."

"What happened to the basilisk?" asked Joshua. "Is there any chance he'd donate another tooth?"

"Harry killed it," offered Ron. "The beast is rotting away underneath Hogwarts. So sure," he shrugged, "the fangs are free for the taking if we could get into Hogwarts, which we can't."

"Ginny's there," said Isabel. "Could she get some and get them to us?"

"You, uh, have to speak Parseltongue to enter the chamber," said Harry, running his hand once more through hair that was already standing on end. "It's something Salazar Slytherin set up ages ago so that only his relatives or something could get in. Apparently it's passed down. Ginny got in once because Riddle had sort of possessed her, but she couldn't do it now. I'm the only one that speaks it."

Daisy frowned quickly and glanced around at the supernatural beings crowded into the room, at least, they were partially crowded into the room. Their faces were clearly there, but the bodies just sort of faded out, as though they knew there wasn't really room to accommodate all of them. Whatever she heard caused her frown to deepen, but she remained quiet, only Hermione, sitting across from her, noticed the brief interaction.

"You're actually not the only one who speaks Parseltongue," remarked Gareth. "Papá speaks it too."

There was a moment of silence as the British wizards all shifted en masse to stare at Oscar. "I don't think it is perhaps the same way Harry speaks it," he said after a moment. "As with any language, it is possible to learn enough phrases to converse with a native speaker. This does not make me a native speaker. What Harry, and Tom Riddle, and other descendants of Slytherin seem to have is an innate ability to communicate. They do not need to learn the language, as I have, it is simply something that comes naturally to them."

"Why did you learn to speak Parseltongue?" Hermione asked curiously. "It's rather taboo here."

Oscar smiled. "A large portion of my country is covered by the Amazon rainforest. This is where my company hides several of our manufacturing plants, away from non-magic people. We have found the native Green Anaconda to be a rather effective security measure, and so it is prudent to learn how to converse with them, even in a limited way."

"All right, so Harry or Oscar could get into this chamber and get the fangs. But that doesn't change the fact that none of us can get into Hogwarts anyway. Could we find another basilisk?" asked George.

"They're not natural creatures," said Hermione. "They're made by hatching a chicken's egg under a toad."

"Well, there's chickens out there. And we can probably find a toad easily enough. Why don't we try that?"

"There's got to be more to it than that," protested Catherine. "I know I've only been studying biology for a few months, but there is no way just sticking a chicken's egg under a toad would spontaneously make some entirely new creature. There's got to be a spell or potion involved. Besides, we don't have a rooster, we can't even hatch chicken eggs under a chicken."

"So the basilisk is out. Now what's another way we can destroy this thing?" said Xander. "Have y'all tried blowing it up?"

"Yes, actually," said Sirius. "We've tried all the usual blasting spells, plus burning, freezing, shattering, cracking…nothing's worked."

"So why can't you use this _Fiendfyre_? You said it had problems?"

"It's a dark, very powerful fire, that will not stop until it has consumed everything in its path, and it takes an exceptionally strong wizard to control it," said Remus. "It's simply too dangerous to try."

"What about if you had a metal, airtight container to set the fire in? Like a controlled test?" asked Xavier. "I mean, you have to test things like that, right? The military has testing sites for weaponry. What testing sites do y'all have for spells? Military sites or university sciences labs or something?"

"The magical world doesn't have universities," grumbled Hermione.

"Thank Merlin for that," muttered Ron.

"Well," said Remus thoughtfully, "there is the Guild at Oxford. It's not a place of higher learning, per say, but it is a place of further…experimentation?"

"They're considered crackpots," said Sirius, shaking his head, "Trying to push the boundaries of what magic can do."

"The Guild was started not long after Hogwarts was founded," added Remus. "Some of the early graduates didn't think the school went far enough. And it was a Guild member who apparently created Fiendfyre to begin with, something that would burn continuously with limited fuel. So they might have something set up to conduct an experiment like that."

Sirius shook his head vehemently, dark tendrils falling over his eyes. "Nope, not a good idea. The Guild is usually overrun with dark wizards."

"Why do you look like the cat that ate the canary?" Fred suddenly asked Gareth, and all eyes swiveled toward him.

"Because I happen to know of a place that regularly conducts _Fiendfyre_ tests that we should be able to get in and out of without any trouble," he said smugly, glancing over at Oscar.

"Our silver factory in Birmingham," clarified Oscar. "It's goblin-run, and where most of the custom pieces are designed and manufactured. Many orders are required to withstand dark enchantments. It's is a very expensive option, but this plant has a test site for _Fiendfyre_."

"Wait, wait, wait…you lot are the ones that made Aunty Muriel's goblin-wrought tiara that she rabbits on about?" asked Ron, trying to swallow his mouth of cake.

"Possibly," replied Oscar. "The more pressing issue is that getting in and out without any trouble is not necessarily guaranteed. Goblin loyalty is tenuous at best. But they are accustomed to Gareth and I stopping by once in a while. It may not occur to them that we are not supportive of the new regime. Hopefully any suspicion from London has not reached them yet."

"So, we'll go to Birmingham, then?" said Harry. "Brilliant."

" _We_ will go to Birmingham," said Gareth firmly. "Papá and I. Not you. We can't exactly waltz in and out with the Chosen One."

"But this is my responsibility…"

"No Harry, it's not just your responsibility," Sirius said softly. "Haven't you realized that yet? We are all going down with this ship."

* * *

Artemis was hunched down against the pillows on her bed, and scribbled as fast as possible on the notepad that rested against her knees, trying to get the words down on paper. They may not be able to get into Hogwarts, but she was pretty sure she knew someone who could. The door creaked softly open and closed, and she quickly tucked the letter under a pile of books on the edge of the nightstand.

"Is Ana already asleep?" whispered Remus, peeking into the crib tucked against the wall.

"Um, yeah," Artemis replied, turning to watch him. Merlin, she still couldn't quite believe it. One more week and they were going to be married. It took some days after the proposal for Artemis to realize they actually couldn't be legally married for at least four more years, as she was still supposed to be imprisoned on a reservation in America. So they'd planned a small unofficial celebration, that Kieran agreed to officiate that would bind them together as far as their pack was concerned. Artemis had wondered whether it was appropriate to think about planning festivities with Ellie still missing, but Kieran said they'd gone on in this strange relationship limbo long enough and they need to have things settled.

Artemis Scamander wanted to marry Remus Lupin probably more than she'd ever wanted anything in her life. All those things she'd said to Ellie, and inadvertently everyone else, on the day he'd proposed were absolutely true. He was steady and thoughtful, kind and funny, and so very handsome. She watched him sometimes during those horcrux 'study groups' — the way his eyes lit up when he ran across something he thought might be helpful or important, those moments he would catch Sirius' eye and the two of them would wordlessly share some memory, the way he gently corrected or redirected Harry or Ron or Hermione. He was probably a natural in the classroom, she thought. And every once in a while she would look up and find his eyes on her, filled with wonder or tenderness or heat, and it usually took her breath away for a moment as she struggled to remember what she'd been doing or saying.

And yet tonight there was a strange uneasiness in her heart. Artemis without question believed keeping in touch with Lina was the right thing to do. They had put their lives on the line for one another over and over again. There was simply no way on this earth that Lina Laurent was serving What's His Name without simultaneously working against him from the inside. If they were getting input and help from the other Americans it made sense to ask for help from someone with knowledge and access to the dark side. Didn't it? _But then why do you need to keep it a secret?_ Because he wouldn't agree. _Sirius agrees. Couldn't you try and convince Remus?_ He would say she could have been Imperiused. _Is that possible?_ No. She's too aware and on guard all the time. And Severus is there to watch her back. _Remus doesn't trust him either._ Well, he just…just… _Do you trust Snape?_ Lina trusts him. That's good enough. _But not good enough for Remus._ Well they just have a complicated history. _He killed Dumbledore._ Lina trusts him. _So you are choosing Lina over Remus?_ No, I just…

"You're quiet this evening."

His voice, interrupting her tornado of thought, made her jump, even though she'd been looking right at him. "Sorry, I think I'm just tired."

"It was rather an eventful evening. Funny to realize the solution to something we'd been agonizing over was so close at hand." The bed sighed and dipped as he sat beside her.

Artemis stilled in surprise as his hand swept her hair back and he began gently kissing her neck. She knew before he moved where the kisses would fall, one after another, as if he had memorized the placement of each star tattoo. Her heart fluttered erratically, and she wanted nothing more than to melt into him. _Doesn't he deserve the truth? The last secret you kept from him didn't work out that well._

In an effort to shut herself up, she turned and straddled his lap, kissing him fiercely. He was surprised by her response, she could feel it, his hesitation. He was accustomed taking the lead in these moments, to his touch reducing her to an incoherent puddle, but this was new — these passionate demanding kisses. He responded, but after a few minutes, she felt him grip her waist and push her gently away.

"We have to stop…I can't…" he paused and drew in a deep breath, closing his eyes. "It's just one more week," he finally said. "We'll be married in one week."

He untangled himself from her and kissed her tenderly on the forehead. "I'm going to attempt to sleep now, though I'm not at all certain if my dreams will be sweet or frustrating," he said teasingly.

"Good night," she whispered, hoping he heard her shaky voice as equally frustrated, rather than verging on tears. Had she really been ready to use him to make herself forget how conflicted she felt?

Artemis Scamander wanted to marry Remus Lupin probably more than she'd ever wanted anything in her life. But when the lights turned out and she settled down under the covers and heard him crawl into the other bed, she couldn't help but wonder if she even deserved to marry him as her tears silently fell and soaked the pillow.

* * *

A little shorter this week, but we have people in from out of town, sorry about that! Hope you are all enjoying this - thanks so much for following along!


	69. Chapter 69

Chapter 69 ~ September, 1997

 _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..._

* * *

A soft afternoon breeze threw dark curls into her face. Daisy closed her eyes and focused on breathing quietly in and out, in and out. She enjoyed living out in the country, but found herself missing the solitude and ambience of the rooftop garden in London. Things had been so busy that it was hard to get away for any length of time, and Daisy sorely needed time. Time to process. Time to try to understand what she was seeing and hearing. Time to decide what, if anything, she was supposed to do. A boost from a levitation spell and years of practice climbing gave her some time away from the others up in the top branches of a large oak tree.

Horcurx. It wasn't until that discussion when Harry finally disclosed everything Dumbledore had told him that it made sense. Joshua once asked her why she always referred to Harry's warrior as a plural. She'd told him there were two, but when he asked why, she shrugged it off as him being the Chosen One. She assumed Harry had two warriors because he was important. But the information about the horcruxes shed a whole new light on the matter. One of those warriors had originally been assigned to Tom Marvolo Riddle, and when Voldemort was defeated that Halloween night in Little Whinging, Surrey, the warrior had stayed with the remaining piece of his soul…the piece of his soul that was currently attached to Harry Potter.

"I think you could have just told me that," she grumbled to the shimmering wolf at her side.

 _Some things must be revealed in their own time._

"Does Harry know?"

 _He will begin to suspect._

"But the horcruxes have to be destroyed."

 _The soul must be separated from the host._

Daisy stomach twisted. "Harry is a host. You know, in a way the prophecy sounds backwards. It's not really that neither can live while the other survives, it's that neither can live unless the other survives. The piece of Tom Riddle that's still in Harry can only live while Harry lives. And if we try to destroy that piece of his soul, we kill Harry." Her face scrunched up in a frown and she picked restlessly at a loose piece of bark on the branch where she sat. "This is why Grams should have picked somebody else. I don't know what to do about any of this. All I know is how desperately sad I feel about it."

 _Your empathy is precisely why you were chosen. Harry doesn't need someone to figure out what to do. He needs someone to help him stay focused on what matters. A deception will come that promises power. What is needed is sacrifice._

"How much sacrifice?" she asked, tucking her hair behind her ears.

 _The same amount that is required of all whom The Creator anoints…everything._

"Yeah," Daisy sighed. "That's what I thought you were going to say." She swung her legs over to the other side of the branch and prepared to climb back down. "Will it ever end?" she asked suddenly. "The war in your realm? I mean, even if we stop Tom Riddle here, will the war you fight against the enemies ever end?"

 _Of course. The last enemy that will be defeated is death itself._

"You're going to end death?!" she squeaked in surprise. "How long have you been fighting?" Daisy asked in amazement.

 _Millennia. And we will continue to fight, because the struggles of this present age are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed when The One Who Sits on the Throne is victorious._

"I guess that's true," she said thoughtfully. "Well," she said, climbing carefully down from branch to branch until she was close enough to jump. "We'll do our part, but I really don't want to be the one to explain that Harry has to be destroyed to destroy part of Tom Riddle's soul…I don't want to be the one that has to destroy him either." Landing a little harder than she expected, Daisy winced slightly and brushed herself off. "I gotta get back. Artemis' bachelorette party is tonight. Hermione called it a hen night, which I think it a little weird. I mean, they don't call what the guys are planning a rooster night. They call it a stag night. Why isn't the bride's party called a doe night? Although that sounds strange too now that I say it out loud."

She began walking back towards the farmhouse, looking up at the host of warriors surrounding the property, rank upon rank of translucent knights standing at attention. Daisy glanced then at her wolf. "Thanks for the back up," she said, gesturing over her head. "Our shield charms are pretty strong, but you're really the ones keeping them away, aren't you? The Death Eaters?"

 _The warriors of The Creator encamp around those who have chosen to submit to their anointing. We are charged to guard you in all your ways._

"There's so many of you," she whispered, shaking her head. "Aren't there other people who need you too?"

A soft rumble sounded beside her, which she realized after a moment was laughter. _There are enough for all._

"Ok, good," nodded Daisy. "Because we can use all we can get."

* * *

Breathing hard, Artemis stood warily from her crouched position. Her tail flicked back and forth as she scanned the area, front paws planted firmly on the whimpering body. Over and over again they were arriving at scenes too late to do anything besides clean up and maybe notify family members. The information network Remus and Arthur Weasley had set up among wizards helped them track Death Eater activity, now that they didn't have insider information from the Ministry. Gareth had suggested using the same charm to contact each other that Hermione had told him about using for Dumbledore's Army. A couple dozen innocent looking Galleons scattered across the country could now send information to the Order, and Fred and George were working on a coded radio broadcast that would keep people in hiding up to date on their activities.

"Nice take down," panted Tonks, running up to her. "Maybe we can get this one to talk."

The mountain lion nodded silently. They were joined a moment later by Sirius and two large werewolves, black and red-gold. With multiple eyes now on the wounded dark wizard, Artemis stepped off of him, transformed and began looking over the ground. "My wand flew over here somewhere," she muttered.

Sirius grinned. "Kitten, let a professional handle this." He changed into Padfoot and ran over the ground methodically, sniffing with intense concentration. Artemis watched him with an amused expression as he gave a happy bark and returned, wand in his mouth like he was waiting to play fetch. He changed back and held out the wand for her. When she didn't immediately take it, he rolled his eyes and wiped the wand off on his trouser leg, before handing it back again.

"Thank you," she said with a satisfied nod, reaching to take it.

Sirius pulled it back with a raised eyebrow. "Now, surely you can do better than that."

Artemis stared at him hard for a second before sweeping a low bow and proclaiming, "My gratitude knows no bounds, O illustrious canine! For my poor feline olfactory senses are no match for your renowned faculties."

"Much better," he said simply, handing her the wand. She smiled and elbowed him good-naturedly as they turned back to the others.

Tonks kept her wand trained on the fallen wizard, who was trembling and looking frantically back and forth between the two werewolves. "Were you here for a specific purpose, or just causing general terror and mayhem?" she asked grimly.

"Don't…don't let them bite me," the man whispered hoarsely.

Xander began licking his chops suggestively and Tonks rolled her eyes. "I can't make any promises. If you want to survive this night I suggest you answer our questions."

"We…we're looking at farms. One of the new recruits with Greyback said sometimes the werewolf pack gets temporary work during the harvests."

Artemis swore, and pointed her own wand at the man. "But they hadn't come this way, so you figured you'd just kill the people that lived here?"

"We're sending a message. They're just…just Muggles after all," he whispered, his eyes widening as the black werewolf growled and moved closer, planting a large paw on his chest, claws extended and pricking holes through his cloak and into his skin. A whimper escaped him as the werewolf dug his claws in further.

"Hezekiah, that's enough," said Tonks tiredly.

The werewolf abruptly transformed and the young man rolled back his shoulders and stretched, as though he were a boxer preparing to step into the ring. "Really? Because I don't think a few scratches quite makes up for the family that's lying dead in their house over there!"

"We can obliviate him and drop him off at the Minis—"

"You mean that Ministry that you don't work for anymore?" he asked sarcastically. "The one that he probably does work for?"

"And what exactly do you think we should do?" she asked. "Execute him right here without a trial?"

" _Avada Kedavra_."

The man twitched once as the spell hit and then lay still. Hezekiah and Tonks turned wide eyes to Artemis, standing there with her wand extended.

"This is a war," she said calmly. "There are no courts or trials anymore that operate with any kind of judicial objectivity. We do not have a facility to house prisoners of war. This is your reality now. You stop them, get any information out of them that you can, and then you kill them. Hezekiah, you and Tonks go over to Matthew Roberts' farm and check on them. Let them know what's going on and make sure they still want to be in on everything, then double check all their shielding charms."

The two nodded solemnly, and disapparated with a pop. Xander changed back and looked at Artemis. "I guess killing the messenger sends its own message," he remarked, shaking his head and stepping around the body. "We just leaving everybody here?"

Sirius nodded. "The Muggle authorities can deal with it." He drew his brows together and ran a hand through his hair, looking back towards the silent house and then to Artemis. "You're right…but you can't ask all of them to operate that way," he finally said.

Raising her eyebrows, Artemis waited for him to continue.

"You, me, Remus, maybe Xavier. We can probably handle it. But you can't ask the others to just starting killing people that surrender."

"I can handle it," Xander said in a gruff voice. "Probably Kieran and Oscar too. So at least the kids don't have to be the ones."

Artemis' shoulders slumped wearily. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I'll talk to them when we get back and make sure they're on board."

"I'll talk to them," smiled Sirius, slinging an arm over her shoulder. "You're getting married tomorrow and our social calendar is already full for this evening. What do you lovely ladies have planned while we gentlemen are pursuing our own entertainment?"

"No idea," said Artemis. "And before you say it, I'm sure it's not going to include a pillow fight with all of us in lingerie."

Sirius and Xander looked at each other as they both made faces and shook their heads. "That option is significantly less appealing when some of the participants are young enough to be my daughters," remarked Sirius ruefully.

Xander nodded emphatically. "Y'all make cookies and paint your nails or something. I watched three of those girls grow up and that's all I want to think about them doing."

Artemis laughed. "You're a couple of old teddy bears."

"I thought I was a dashing pirate," said Sirius, faking a pout.

"So dashing," Artemis teased. "Like Winnie the Pooh with an eyepatch."

"Let's go before she starts comparing me to Piglet," said Xander.

Artemis grabbed his hand. "No, you're much more a Tigger," she said, as they disapparated.

Sirius smiled and then glanced once more at the dead man, his smile fading. He'd recognized Bernie Talbot, although he hadn't said anything. Gryffindor. Several years behind him at school. Got a face full of porridge once that James had aimed at Severus. _How many are we going to lose before this is over? How many will we have to kill? What about this darkness is appealing enough to turn countrymen, classmates…even brothers against each other?_ There was no answer from the silent grove, and Sirius sighed before disapparating away.

* * *

After a long bubble bath and some time playing with daughter, who was well on her way to sitting up on her own and making attempts to crawl, Artemis was able to set aside the heaviness of the situation they had encountered that afternoon. Dressed in her favorite pink plaid pajama pants and Remus' blue jumper, she made her way down to the kitchen. Loud sixties pop music played from the radio on the kitchen counter over the heavenly smell of fudge. Isabel skidded across the room in socks, singing _One Fine_ Day into a spoon along with The Chiffons. As the song ended she banged the spoon officiously on the table top and cleared her throat. "The bride-to-be as arrived and I now declare this Bachelorette Party Hen Night thing officially begun! First, we eat!"

With a few flicks of their wands, Jane and Molly Weasley sent platters whizzing onto the long table. "Yay, tacos!" cried Artemis, giving a little twirl. Ana laughed and babbled at the excitement, as she was deposited into her high chair by Catherine. Artemis, Jane, Molly, Catherine, Isabel, Daisy, Hermione and Tonks slid into their seats, all arrayed in various pajamas. Conversation instantly erupted between them as they dug into the food and passed around pitchers of iced tea and lemonade.

"What are the boys doing?" asked Artemis around a mouthful.

"Sirius talked the local pub into having a karaoke night," replied Tonks, grabbing for some tortilla chips.

"That place? There's only ever two or three old guys there. Not a place to blend in at all."

"And they took Finn with them?" asked Catherine in surprise. "How are they planning to keep him occupied?"

"George and Fred are in charge of that," announced Isabel.

"I'm afraid they're frequently on the same wave-length as a three-year old," sighed Molly, shaking her head.

Isabel giggled and Molly smiled and patted her cheek.

"I'm pretty sure they're going to need some obliviation charms on whoever they meet when they're finished," said Tonks, dryly.

"Well that's riskier than what we have planned, but we are still going to have fun," declared Jane.

Artemis smiled. "Of course we're going to have fun! Now what've you got planned?"

"Lots of girly stuff with no interruptions!" grinned Daisy. "Facials, doing our nails, eating chocolate, and talking about boys."

"Speaking of boys," said Isabel. "Did you and Ron ever…you know, work things out between you, Hermione?"

The younger girl blushed and shook her head. "Not really. I…um, what you said about…about grumpy gingers…did you…I mean, is it that obvious?"

Isabel's brows knit together in confusion. "Isn't it good if it's obvious that he likes you?"

"That he likes me?! I meant was it obvious that I liked him? I didn't…well, I hoped, and I was pretty sure…but…"

"Oh, honey, it's obvious," piped up Artemis. "On both sides."

"Ron really does look a lot like Crookshanks when he's glaring at people," offered Daisy.

Isabel snorted. "Yeah, especially if he thinks some other guy is monopolizing your time. I thought he was going to have permanent wrinkles the night you spent hours talking to Gareth about working conditions in the silver mines and adjusting the goblin contracts. Pure jealousy. The guy's got it bad."

"Oh," said Hermione in a small voice.

"Now, careful there," cautioned Jane. "Nine months off the reservation and you're already forgetting we mind our own business. Don't meddle in things that don't concern you. They can work this out for themselves."

Dinner was filled with chatter, some happy, some serious, some ridiculous. Two hours later they were still sitting around the table, all wearing various colored facial masks and half holding their hands out stiffly as the others applied bright nail varnish.

"Hermione, you're awfully quiet," said Catherine. "Are you having a good time? If you want to get out your knitting, you're more than welcome. Molly brought some too. Sometimes it's nice to have your hands busy while you're talking, and the nail polish should already be set. It's the kind with the anti-chipping spell."

Hermione smiled. "I think I'm just soaking it all in," she said softly.

"Don't you do stuff like this all the time at school?" asked Daisy curiously, her hair half pulled up into bun as Isabel studiously stuck little daisies into it. "I thought boarding school would be like this a lot, at least on the weekends."

"I suppose maybe for some, but I don't really have a…a group of girlfriends that I hang out with at school," Hermione answered softly. "Ginny's my best girl friend, but…I suppose since I've spent most of my time with Ron and Harry, and Ginny has so many brothers we just…well, we don't have anything like this at school," she finished, waving her hand to encompass the group of women. "Girls can be…difficult."

"Are we difficult?" asked Daisy in concern.

"No!" Hermione hastened to clarify. "It's just that a lot of the girls at school act like they always have something to prove, like we're all in a competition to get the most attention from people…from boys. It's…exhausting, honestly."

Jane and Artemis and Tonks nodded in understanding. Isabel shuddered dramatically. "That's horrid! I mean, I'll admit it, I like attention, and boys can be very accommodating about that. But…you need girls. I mean, there are some things that boys just don't get."

"Sure, I know that. But other people don't seem to," shrugged Hermione.

"I think," said Jane thoughtfully, "that our culture tends to emphasize romantic relationships as the pinnacle of your experience. But…" she smiled suddenly. "Hawthorne says women are the bedrock of civilization, the ones who kept things going when men over and over again set off for war, and often didn't return home. And we probably have a different perspective, being more communal and isolated…but, that's how society used to be too. And it was the same in my neighborhood growing up. We had different generations living together, all up in each other's lives. Your mother might teach you to cook, but a grandmother or aunt, or neighbor might teach you to sew, or read or complain that your mother's matzah balls were a disgrace and you needed to come to her house to really learn the right way to make them."

Tonks smiled a little sheepishly. "I guess I don't have great experiences with that either. My mom has terrible sisters, and I've never felt like I fit in with other girls either."

"You fit in just fine with us," said Artemis. "I mean, feminine stereotypes are just nonsense anyway. I'm sure everyone feels like they don't quite fit the mold. If you want to be a fighter, or a Quidditch player, or a lawyer, or a nurse, or a wife, or mom, or musician, or some combination, then try that. I think we need to be there for each other and support each other because we're women, not because we all match some feminine ideal."

"That all got very serious, very quickly," remarked Isabel. "So, we'll agree that boys are great, but not the be all, end all, and we girls are going to stick together. Now let's break out the chocolate!"

"And we'll make a chocolate toast to Artemis," grinned Jane. "You've been managing the traditional responsibilities of marriage," she said, gesturing to Ana who was starting to nod off to sleep in her highchair, half a dozen bright bows holding up tufts of black hair. "Now you can enjoy some of the benefits." She held up a square of fudge and winked before taking a bite.

Artemis blushed and groaned, "You've been hanging out with Sirius too much."

"Tomorrow's your wedding!" cried Isabel, clapping her hands. "Can you believe it? It's so exciting! We get to dress up again and Remus asked for the music to be soft and folksy. Daisy's going to play the hammered dulcimer. Cat's on the fiddle, Gareth will be lead guitar, Josh is just going to play percussion with some wood blocks, and I'm on the mandolin. It's going to be lovely and fun! And wait until you see what Remus had us make—" she was abruptly cut off by Catherine placing a hand over her mouth.

"Don't give away the surprise," she scolded. "Tomorrow will be lovely. Let's just leave it at that."

Artemis blinked away sudden tears. "Thank you all, so much. It isn't quite what I'd always imagined. I mean…my family's not here. I've written a lot using the No-Maj post, so they know I'm here and they know about Remus and Ana, all the important things. But as a little girl you always imagine the fairytale, right? My dad was going to walk me down the aisle while my mom cried. Apollo was going to make a ridiculous and obnoxious toast at the reception, Ingrid was going to be my maid of honor, Rolf would have been wrestled into a tuxedo and annoyed by the whole thing."

Jane grabbed her hand reassuringly. "We're your family," she said firmly. "For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as any of us shall live, we will be here for you. For all of you," she amended, nodding to the other women around the table.

* * *

** Next week we have a wedding! *sings* They're finally getting ma-a-a-a-ried now!" (Anyone else seen Muppets Take Manhattan? No? Just poor eighties child me?) Thanks so much for reading along!


	70. Chapter 70

Chapter 70 ~ September, 1997

The decanter clinked softly against the wine glass in Severus' hand as Lina poured. More often than not, this was how their days ended, him in her armchair with a glass of wine. It was foolishly sentimental, but he quite missed his own rooms down in the lower chambers of the castle. He'd moved with an affected arrogance into the Headmaster's rooms, but they didn't feel like his. The spirit of Albus Dumbledore had baked into the space, and despite offering his utter obedience during the man's lifetime, Severus knew the greatest wizard of the modern age would not be pleased with how far off script they had strayed in their respective tasks since his death. The man's portrait wasn't entirely aware of what was going on, but still insisted on checking in and offering advice. So it was simply more comfortable to spend his free time in the evenings in Lina's rooms. Well, more comfortable and also slightly disturbing. The constant companion of stress compelled him to seek out company, and she was the one person he was able to count as a friend. And some part of him found the idea terrifying, for her and himself. Lily had been his last real friend, and his warped inability to engage in normal relationships had twisted his affection for her into obsession. He could see that in hindsight, but he wasn't sure he knew how to care about people without damaging them.

"Artemis sent another letter," Lina said after a moment, as she settled into the chair beside him.

"Did you respond to the first?"

"No. I didn't feel it was wise or entirely safe."

"Indeed," Severus said absently, his mind tumbling, as it frequently did these days, over various likely and unlikely ways their spying and betrayal of Voldemort would come to light, ending in quick and brutal death. He took another sip of wine, staring across to the window and the dark night beyond.

A sheet of paper from the letter was waved unceremoniously in front of his face, and Severus, refusing to be baited, took a long, slow sip of wine before reaching for it. Reading over the parchment, a faint emotion began to stir in his gut. Lupin and Artemis were getting married. Picturing the reserved werewolf marrying that determined woman was…satisfying somehow. There they were, hiding out with their band of war dogs, and still managed to live as if those traditional things like marriage and children mattered. It gave him, oddly, just the tiniest glimmer of hope. Severus looked up from the paper to notice Lina had a decidedly annoyed expression on her face.

"Aren't you happy about this?" he asked, his voice just a touch mocking.

"Yes," she answered sharply, "but damn the Dark Lord for making me miss the wedding. And after all the work I did to bring them together too."

"You realize of course, that it isn't a real wedding," he murmured, glancing back over the letter. "They can't come out of hiding to be legally married in the eyes of the Ministry as it functions now."

The expression of annoyance didn't leave her face, though it was now directed at herself. "Yes, you're right, I should have remembered that. And Artemis is still technically imprisoned on the werewolf reservation in New York. They'll have to marry officially in another four years or so, after we can get her release papers squared away."

She stood to her feet and began pacing, although Severus didn't think she was fully aware of it. "There's more," Lina finally said, but didn't move to hand over the other piece of parchment clutched in her hand. "They want to set up a meet to exchange intel."

"That surprises me. Foolish really, to be so trusting. I suppose it would not be…impossible for you to sneak away briefly," Severus remarked, his lip curled in a faint look of disfavor. Maybe not impossible, but certainly foolhardy.

Lina was already shaking her head. "No, I can't go. It's too risky."

"But you want to go?"

"What I want doesn't matter…"

"When and where do they suggest you meet?" he interrupted.

"A little French restaurant in London, two Saturdays from now. Artemis and I once helped the family that runs it. She says Sirius will be there, waiting in the back office. All we need to do is come eat at the restaurant and then I'll act like I'm off to the ladies for a few minutes. He'll tell us what they know and ask us if we have anything to share."

Severus set his glass down on the side table and tented his fingers together thoughtfully. "If you are certain the family at this restaurant can be trusted, the time and location are…adequate. It would further the illusion of our dalliance if I were to take you out to dinner, and I would feel more comfortable if you did not go alone."

Lina looked at him in tentative hope. This was dangerous. Between this, preparing to teach, and the situation with Ellie and the children, she was as tense as a coiled spring, and too emotionally invested. The situation was ripe for mistakes. He let out a small huff of frustration, recognizing he was as emotionally invested as Lina, however out of character that might seem. "We will attempt this," he finally said. "But if at any time I suspect we have been followed or the situation merely appears suspicious, we leave and I expect you to obey immediately without question."

"Agreed," she said, nodding firmly.

* * *

 _Deep breaths._

 _That's it._

 _Just breathe._

 _No, not that fast._

 _That's hyperventilating._

 _Slow._

 _There you go._

 _I can't do this._

 _You can do this._

 _You love her._

 _She loves you._

 _You have a beautiful daughter._

 _You're already a family._

 _Maybe she feels trapped._

 _Maybe she feels she has to do this for Ana, but she doesn't really want to._

 _You proposed and she tackled you._

 _Right._

 _Right._

Remus buttoned up the vest of the suit and straightened his tie, mentally shaking off any anxiety. He marveled at the thought that tonight was a full moon, his eighth since he had been healed. It seemed beautifully poetic that he was now preparing to celebrate his wedding outside under her gleaming light. One of Shakespeare's sonnets sprang to mind, and he mumbled it to himself as he sat on the edge of the bed to tie his shoes, "Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove: O no! it is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken."

Artemis had been that for him, the ever-fixed mark, refusing to be altered, even when he gave her every reason to reject him. He shook his head in amazement. What he had been given was beyond anything he could have asked or imagined — a wife, a daughter, a body that was healthy and whole and no longer his enemy, and friends who embodied what it meant to really be a family. "Thank you," he whispered fervently to the empty room, certain his wolf was nearby. "Whoever was orchestrating all this…this tapestry of good in my life. Thank you."

* * *

Artemis was unsuccessfully trying to slow her racing heart as she fiddled with the fabric of her skirt. The simple white dress was embroidered with wildflowers in soft shades of blue, red, and yellow. Everyone was already assembled outside underneath the crabapple trees, heavy with pink-red fruit. She waited just inside the house for Sirius to walk her down the aisle, which wasn't as much an aisle as a well worn path away from the house to the orchard.

"Show time, Kitten!" Sirius suddenly crowed from behind her, clattering down the stairs. He cut a very dashing figure in his velvet jacket and pinstriped trousers, and Artemis grinned up at him. "You're glowing. That must mean you haven't changed your mind."

"Not a chance," she said, her dark hair bouncing around her shoulders as she shook her head. "I'm so happy I could yell. I feel like I've been given this unexpected gift in the middle of everything that should be so dark and miserable."

"Good, because you're ready and look gorgeous, and I'd hate to send you out there if you weren't gloriously happy. Seems a bit hard on the groom."

Artemis threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, unexpected tears pricked at her eyes. "Thank you, Sirius. You're…well, you've been just wonderful through absolutely everything, and I…I sort of feel like I still have a brother."

"Kitten, don't you dare cry right now. Brides are absolutely forbidden from having red puffy eyes at the ceremony. And as strange as it might sound, I feel the same way about you. Reggie was a lot like you, you know…stubborn, tended to overreact."

Artemis offered him a wobbly smile. "I should have figured the dramatic flair was a family trait."

"I told you once that if you broke my werewolf's heart I would end you. I still stand by that."

"I wouldn't expect anything less. I'm glad he has you, Sirius."

"I'm glad I have him. And listen…I'm sorry, you know, that Lina couldn't be here."

Artemis nodded, her happiness slightly dampened by guilt and uncertainty. "We did the right thing, didn't we? Reaching out to her?"

Sirius grabbed her hands and stared at her intently. "Don't you dare think about that. Just enjoy today and we'll worry about all that later. If you mess up his wedding night because you're acting all weird and guilt-ridden I will never forgive you. The man deserves to fully enjoy the little number I hid in your overnight bag."

"I'm not even surprised by that remark," she huffed, smacking him lightly on the arm.

"Come along, Mrs. Almost-Lupin," Sirius grinned, hooking her arm through his.

* * *

A small white canopy stood under trees lit with dozens of small glass globes holding Hermione's bluebell flames. The sun had just finished it's slow descent into the horizon, and when September's full moon began to rise, the brief ceremony would begin.

Remus stood with Kieran under the canopy, trying to master his emotion, and sure he was only succeeding in looking disgruntled. Finn stood beside them as the ring bearer, the two rings tied onto a small pillow with ribbons, as the boy sang a little song to himself and hopped unsteadily from one foot to another. Small wooden folding chairs had been brought out and transfigured into squashy armchairs and sofas and beanbags. The women in their wedding finery perched on the seats talking, and the younger men sprawled out on the beanbags, heedless of dress shirts and ties. Oscar and Hawthorne stood off to the side, speaking with Arthur Weasley as Oscar held Ana. Dressed in a fluffy pink and white creation with a large pink bow holding back some of her hair, the baby babbled happily as she tugged at Oscar's beard. All the chatter died off as they saw Artemis and Sirius approaching. The Rodriguez Family Band immediately went for their instruments and struck up the music for the processional. The first notes of _O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go_ began a cascade of pink bubbles that poured out of the mandolin, fiddle, guitar and dulcimer.

Remus' eyes followed her intently as she made her way up the path, one hand on Sirius' arm, and one holding up her skirt. She was a vision, breathtakingly lovely, and he meant that literally, as his breath had caught in his throat for the space of a couple heartbeats. Any lingering traces of anxiety fled as he exhaled. Nothing felt more right than marrying this woman. He saw her eyes widen as she took in the decorations and lights and bubbles, an expression of sheer delight lighting up her face. He watched her expression soften as she caught sight of Ana, and then turn to him and hold his gaze. The look of fierce love and determination caught him off guard, and Remus was suddenly very aware of how much she had fought for this, fought for them. She had held on to hope in the face of ridiculous opposition, and had never once given any hint that she thought he might not be worth it. He was overwhelmed again by the thought and could only stare at her in wonder as she came to stand beside him.

Sirius released her arm and grabbed Remus in a tight embrace. "Congratulations, Moony. No one deserves this day more that you do."

Remus couldn't even speak. He merely thumped Sirius on the back and pulled away, nodding at him, as he swallowed his sentiments. Did he even remember those were the same words he'd spoken to James on his wedding day? That day Remus had felt such joy for his friend, and such despair for himself. He'd thought then that the love he witnessed between James and Lily would always elude him. Never could he have foreseen the circumstances that appeared to now have woven everything inextricably to this moment.

A soft hand intertwining her fingers with his brought him out of his reverie. Artemis smiled at him as they turned and faced Kieran. The Alpha looked thoughtfully at each of them, then grinned broadly. "Ladies and Gentlemen," he began, "whether you are a werewolf or not, we are gathered here today as one pack to acknowledge and celebrate Remus and Artemis' decision to marry — to bind themselves together in a union and covenant that will last the rest of their lives."

Kieran then leaned down and placed a hand on Finn's head. The little boy looked up at him "Time for the rings," he whispered, and Finn held out the pillow. "You did a great job, Buddy," Kieran said with a wink. "Why don't you go sit with Jane?"

"I sit wi' Fwed," Finn stated proudly, and took off, tackling the redhead on the beanbag, and eliciting a groan as his head connected with Fred's jaw. Everyone laughed as the two sorted themselves out. Fred fished a couple of their "Weasley's Soldiers on Parade" out of his pocket and handed them to Finn. The little boy was now happily watching the toys march around in the grass, and the rest returned their attention back to Kieran.

"Right then. This is pretty simple. The two will exchange rings and say their vows and we'll call it good."

He held the pillow out to Artemis first, and she untied the ribbon on Remus' ring. It was a simple band of gold, selected from an assortment of jewelry that Gareth had retrieved from their vault at Gringotts. Artemis took his hand in hers and slipped the ring onto his finger as she took a deep breath and began to speak, "You are the one who truly saw me and chose to love me. Where I saw weakness, you saw strength. You gave me a reason to hope. I promise to love you faithfully regardless of any obstacles. I give you my heart, my life, my future from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."

Remus then untied her ring and slipped it onto her finger, the blue stones sparking as they caught the light from the dancing flames. He folded her hand into his own and held it close to his chest. His eyes held hers, willing her understand just how much he meant the words that followed. "You brought light to my darkness, as the mythical Artemis brought moonlight to the darkness of the night sky. You made the moon a friend, instead of a master. You had hope for me when I had none for myself. I promise to love you faithfully regardless of any obstacles. I give you my heart, my life, my future from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."

"So you may now kiss the bride," prompted Kieran, a satisfied smirk on his face.

To the sounds of cheers and whistles, Remus drew her closer and leaned in, watching how her eyelids fluttered closed, long dark lashes resting against her skin. He pressed his lips to hers, sealing their commitment. A light and lively song began in the background as Remus reluctantly pulled away. But there would be time for much more of that later, he realized with a faint flush of heat to his face. Catching the smug quirk of her lips and knowing look in her eyes, Artemis was thinking the same thing.

Jane and Molly had overseen the preparation of a veritable feast, tables under the trees laden with food and drinks, charmed to all stay at the perfect temperature. The folk music died away, and Artemis' radio took up the task, bouncy swing music flooding from the small box. Remus found himself momentarily separated from his new wife as the household approached en masse to congratulate them. He almost jerked away from the feeling of long, rough fingers wrapping themselves tightly around his wrist, but looked down to meet Kreacher's grave eyes.

"The Half-Breed will take good care of Kreacher's Mistress," the elf croaked, half threatening and half pleading.

Remus stiffly knelt down and placed his hand on Kreacher's shoulder, covered by a child-sized velvet dinner jacket. "Kreacher I promise you that I will dedicate the rest of my life to doing just that," he said solemnly.

Large tears began to leak from Kreacher's round eyes, and he quickly turned away, only to be grabbed by Artemis who had knelt down as well and hugged him tightly. "Kreacher, you're a grumpy old treasure," she whispered. The elf patted her cheek and then turned away, muttering grumbly nothings under his breath.

Hugs, handshakes, and pats on the back seemed to come at Remus relentlessly, and he was quite relieved when it was all over and he was allowed to sit down beside Artemis and try to eat something. Not that he was able to actually eat much. After waiting and planning and anticipating for so long, Remus found himself almost mechanically moving through the next hour, not quite able to process that the event had finally happened.

The conversation at some point turned to who might be next to walk down the path to wedded bliss, with most agreeing Joshua and Daisy were the likely candidates. The girl's cheeks were as pink as her dress, and she glanced at the tall, dark young man beside her. "As soon as he asks me, I'll be glad to say yes," she said, smiling shyly.

Joshua stared down at his plate, his own cheeks flushed. There was a slight hush that fell over the tables, and he finally looked up and around at everyone. "Well, I'm not doing it right now," he huffed defensively. "I don't want an audience for something like that."

"I don't mind an audience," said Jane suddenly. "Most of you have seen me at my absolutely lowest moment. I'd love to share a happy moment." She turned to Hawthorne, who for all his prompting and teasing, looked a little shocked. "If you're really willing to take me on, I would like nothing better than to marry you," she said boldly.

A slow smile creased his face, and he leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "My darling, Jane, taking you on would be my greatest privilege," he replied, and the tables erupted with cheers.

Excited and happy conversation peppered the rest of the evening, the nature of their situation, the evil world around them, and the grim assignments they had still to carry out were ignored for the moment, darkness intentionally set aside to focus joy. Ana was strapped into her highchair beside Remus, messily working her way through the soft carrots and dumplings on her tray. A slip of concentration and Remus found a handful of his hair being tugged accompanied by Ana's happy shriek. "Easy there," he murmured, untangling her fingers and making a face at the sensation of drool and mashed carrot now trailing through his hair.

Molly Weasley chuckled and whipped out her wand to clean him up. "How about you come with me, Little Miss," she said, scooping Ana out of her seat. "I think it's time we clean you up and get you to bed."

"Thank you, Molly," said Artemis, gratefully, as the older women scooped up the baby.

"Not at all, dear. Finn, you come along too, pet. I'll tell you a wonderful story about Babbity Rabbity." The boy willingly took her free hand, and trailed tiredly after her.

With so many wands ready to help, the dishes were quickly dealt with and the tables enlarged and sunk down into the ground to become a dance floor. The radio became louder and Remus held out his hand to Artemis, ushering her out to the floor. Frank Sinatra began crooning, "Some day when I'm awfully low, and the world is cold, I will feel a glow just thinking of you, and the way you look tonight."

Artemis moved willing into his arms, her cheek pressed against his chest as he led her around the dance floor. The soft scent of vanilla surrounded him, both heady and comforting. They danced to soft, romantic ballads, they danced to fast and upbeat swing numbers. They separated for a short time and showed some of the younger people how to do the Lindy Hop. And after another two hours, Remus was more than ready for the celebration to be over.

He caught Sirius' eye across the floor and made a pleading face at him. Sirius nodded and moved to the center of the dance floor, clapping his hands loudly. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the time has come to bid our newlyweds farewell for the evening. The dancing will continue until all of us drop from exhaustion, but for now, let's grab a glass of champagne and toast the happy couple."

Everyone moved to take up a tall flute of champagne, and lifted their glasses. "To Moony and Kitten," Sirius began, grinning at them. "Remus, you were my brother before I even knew that was what I needed. Artemis, you stepped in and bossed me around and helped me move forward with my life before I even knew _that_ was what I needed. I'm sure everyone here could share ways that you have impacted our lives. We are proud and pleased to consider you both our friends and more than that, our family. And we are all so bloody relieved that you finally got around to tying the knot! To the Lupins!"

"The Lupins!" everyone echoed before sipping the cold, bubbling wine.

"Please let's get out of here," Remus whispered in her ear as Artemis took a swallow of the drink.

She nodded in agreement, and set the glass down. Jane was beside her a second later handing her a small overnight bag. "Have fun," she smiled. "You've earned it."

Artemis blushed and Remus took the bag, then grabbed her hand and led her off away from the party, down a path lit by tiny bluebell flames. "We did it," Artemis said softly, glancing up at him.

"We did," he replied, smiling and rubbing a thumb over her knuckles.

"And just where might you be taking me, husband?" she asked teasingly.

The title lit a warmth in Remus chest. "The girls helped me with a surprise," he said. "And just to forewarn you, Isabel had a great deal of input on the decorating."

They rounded a slight bend in the path and Artemis gasped at the sight. The path of bluebell flames ended at a large and colorful tent, lit with strings of fairy lights. Shaking his head a little, Remus lifted the flap of the tent and ushered Artemis inside. He held out the bag and cleared his throat a little uncertainly. "Why don't you, uh, make yourself comfortable, and I'll just double-check that all the…the privacy spells are in place."

He ducked back out quickly walked the perimeter. He didn't expect anyone to come this way, but incanted shielding and silencing spells regardless. Satisfied that they had as much privacy as they would need, he returned to the tent, his heart beginning to beat a little faster wondering what just might be packed in that overnight bag.

Lifting the tent flap and bending down to avoid a beaded lamp hanging from the ceiling, Remus was a little surprised to see Artemis laughing as she moved through the space, inspecting vibrant velvet covered pillows, a furred rug, fringed curtains, and beaded lampshades. She spun toward him and smiled enchantingly. "Here," she said, holding out a small pile of fabric towards him. "This is Sirius' contribution — matching silk pajamas in Gryffindor red."

Remus took the pajama set from her. "Well," he said, at somewhat of a loss.

She pushed him towards one side of the tent. "You go change over there. I'll be over on this side behind this curtain."

He gamely moved over to the other side of the tent and removed his wedding clothes, slipping on the pajama set. They might seem a little ridiculous, but Artemis was right about one thing, the fabric did feel nice.

"All right, now come and model," she called from behind the curtain.

"What? Why?"

"Please," she said, putting just a hint of a pout into her voice, and peeking around the corner of her curtain.

Remus sighed, moved to the middle of the tent, and turned in a slow circle.

"Oh yes," she giggled. "Definitely what all the smart werewolves about town will be wearing this season."

"Your turn," he said, facing the vivid patterned fabric that currently hid her from his sight.

Artemis stepped out, and despite the fact that she was covered from neck to toes in red silk, Remus felt a rush of desire at seeing her. It was never about how much or little she wore, it was how vulnerable she made herself with him. From those first months at Grimmauld Place when he would wake early to catch glimpses of her tousled and sleepy as she made breakfast, to the nights she would wrap herself in his jumpers and sometimes cry herself to sleep from exhaustion as they learned to care for a newborn, she allowed him to really see her.

Remus stepped towards her and cupped her cheek in his hand, leaning in and kissing her softly. Pulling away, he ran his hand over the red collar to the top button. "Mrs. Lupin," he said in a husky voice. "We seem to have a bit of a problem here. This, albeit lovely material, is between my lips and a constellation of stars that I have very much been wanting to explore."

Artemis let out a low laugh. "Well, Mr. Lupin, I think we can remedy that problem quite easily."

The night passed all too swiftly, lost in a dream of sweet and fevered kisses, caresses that were both gentle and demanding, laughter, and discovery. As Remus drifted off to sleep near daybreak, Artemis nuzzled into him, her lips insistently pecking light kisses along his jawline. "I love you," she sighed contentedly. "I always knew I was going to stay with you forever."

* * *

** I really hope that was ok! There's so much pressure on getting a big event right - in real life or fictional life. Thank you so much for reading along! If you haven't left a review before, please consider doing so. I'd love to hear what you like/don't like, want to see more of, etc.


	71. Chapter 71

Chapter 71 ~ September, 1997

Waiting in the cool, stone hallway outside the heavy door, Ellie strained to hear the whimpers and snap of bones shifting before opening it. When convinced they were again in human form, she pushed the door open and lit the lamps in the room, gritting her teeth against her outrage. The children lay sprawled about, some trying to curl into themselves against the pain.

She moved quickly from one to the other, triaging the wounds and then going back over each small body one at a time, studiously ignoring the mangled corpse in the corner of whoever Voldemort had determined deserving of death by werewolf. After cleaning the room and bedding, and settling them in as comfortably as possible, Ellie sank down onto the floor, sniffing back tears. It was horrific what was happening to these little ones, and the thought that it could have been her Finn here suffering along with them was heartbreaking. If only she could remember what had happened!

The smallest child began to cry, and Ellie gathered her in her arms, taking care not to aggravate her wounds, and began stroking her hair back from her face. "There, there, _cailín_ ," she softly intoned. "You'll be just fine soon enough, you'll see." She felt the lie in her gut even as the words left her mouth. This little girl probably wouldn't live out the year. The toll the transformations took on her body was just too great.

When she came to after Claudius let up on the Cruciatus curse, Ellie immediately changed tactics and stopped trying to fight back. It was in her best interest to try and survive, and that required her to play the part of a meek and submissive wife. Claudius had gone on and on about how glorious the Dark Lord's new regime was going to be, and they had an opportunity to mold a new breed of warriors, to raise up and train the beasts. Ellie kept her face a blank mask and simply nodded, but began a campaign to drop hints and ask questions in order to gain access to the new werewolves. They may be fierce creatures once a month, but the rest of the time they were just children. So she began to speak about teaching the children their place and instilling the idea of benevolent captors. It was slow going, but after almost a month Claudius finally agreed to speak to someone about letting her come and check over the children after each full moon. And this morning she was allowed in for twenty minutes to look over the children and heal whatever wounds they had accumulated during the night.

"This isn't right," Ellie whispered under her breath. "What wickedness allows this kind of suffering?" She closed her eyes against the headache that was beginning. Anytime she tried to force herself to remember the headache would start. Not that it mattered, she hadn't been able to remember a thing. It was like waking from a dream and knowing the dream was still there, just beyond the edges of memory, but unable to see it. Her memories had obviously been taken, and she could feel that whatever had been taken was important. Ellie's only hope was that whatever happened had been done to protect Finn, that he was still out there safe somewhere.

"Is her name Colleen?" a hoarse voice asked.

Ellie turned to the oldest child, a girl, probably around ten years old. "I don't know," answered Ellie softly, shaking her head. " _Cailín_ is just an Irish word that means little girl."

"Oh." The girl looked like she wanted to talk more, but was clearly still in pain, exhausted, and afraid.

"She's about the age my son was when he was infected," Ellie offered. "It's very hard on such little ones."

"It hurts," the girl acknowledged. "Worst I ever felt."

"How long have you been here?" Ellie asked hesitantly.

The girl looked at her with wide, solemn eyes before struggling off her bed and moving over to the far wall. In the dim light Ellie could just make out rows of scratches. "I'm not sure exactly," the girl finally said. "I didn't count at first, and I didn't know if it was day or night in here. The elf finally said one day that the food she was bringing was breakfast. So I started counting from there. I saw someone do it on a movie once. I've counted one hundred sixty-three breakfasts."

"So you've transformed five or six times?"

The girl nodded. "I didn't know what it was at first. Balthazar told me," she said, pointing to a smaller boy snoring away at the far end of the mattress where Ellie sat. "He was already here when I came. I didn't know werewolves and magic and things were real."

"What's your name?" Ellie asked, trying to smile in spite of her heartbreak and fury. Growing up as the daughter of a Death Eater, she'd kept her head down at school and fought her way past the stigma in order to become an apprentice, and then a fully qualified Healer. She tried to distance herself as much as possible from her father's involvement with Voldemort. Then she'd been swept off her feet by that charming snake Claudius Burke, and wound up right back in the thick of things.

"It's Gemma. Gemma Davies."

"And the others?"

"Balthazar. He's eight. Aiden and Victoria are six, Cadmus is five, and then the little one. This was her first time."

"Well, Gemma, I don't know exactly what else I can do to help right now, but I promise I will try."

The girl shrugged, her demeanor suddenly stiff and suspicious. She crawled back onto the mattress beside two of the smaller children and closed her eyes.

"Sleep well, Gemma." Ellie said softly. She laid the smallest girl down again and covered her with one of the flimsy blankets. It was obvious the oldest girl didn't trust any grownups right now to keep any kind of promises, and who could blame her?

Standing to leave the room, Ellie was struck by the sensation that this whole scenario was wrong, was off somehow. An image came to her mind of a group of werewolves racing across a field. They leaped at one another, rolling and tumbling in the grass like puppies, then suddenly all transformed back, the people laughing delightedly. _What a strange idea_ , she thought to herself as the faint pain of a headache began once more.

* * *

Lips parted slightly as Lina held her eyes wide open to apply a layer of mascara. She blinked quickly a few times to dry her lashes and stared at her reflection. The pale face that stared back seemed apprehensive. Small wonder. This job had ceased being just a job a long time ago. She focused on the mirror and forced her face into it's typical placid expression, concentrating on each group of facial muscles. It took a few times before she could relax and the blank look would remain.

She smoothed down the skirt of the black dress and grabbed up a green patterned shawl to throw over her bare shoulders. _Good enough_ , she told herself firmly. _This isn't a date. He probably wouldn't want one anyway after everything that's happened_. Her chest felt tight remembering the look on Sirius' face when she turned her wand on him, mocking his feelings. _But he knows this is all an act, doesn't he? When we went after Harry in July he asked Professor Snape to look out for me. But that was a while ago. Maybe he…_

Lina took a deep breath, seeing the apprehension flood her face again. _Shut up_ , she told herself firmly. _When you see him you'll know and be able to deal with it then. It doesn't change your situation or what you're supposed to be doing._

A knock at the door was a thankful interruption from her inner dialogue. She flicked her wand in the direction of the door and Professor Snape entered, his typical black robes exchanged for a black suit, complete with green accented waistcoat. He looked almost handsome, and Lina nodded approvingly. "Very smart, Sir. Well done."

"That dress is a bold move," Severus remarked as he quickly took in her outfit.

Lina hummed noncommittally, feeling a faint trace of annoyed embarrassment, and kept her eyes down, pretending to adjust her shawl. So she'd been thinking about Sirius' reaction when she'd chosen her outfit. So what? After several moments of silence, she looked up to find Snape watching her with something like amused triumph. She arched an eyebrow at him.

"I wasn't commenting on it with regards to your impending liaison with Black," he murmured knowingly. "I was referring to the lack of sleeves and the very obvious Dark Mark. We kept it hidden for so many years, it is unusual to see one…flourished about."

Lina looked down at the black skull and serpent on her bare forearm. "Rookie mistake," she whispered, frowning. "I'll choose something else" Moving towards the wardrobe she felt long, cool fingers wrap around her wrist.

"It was merely a comment, not a criticism," Severus replied, releasing her. "The tables have turned, and you are at perfect liberty to wear what you like. It probably even furthers our charade, that you are willing for all to see where your loyalties lie."

"Maybe…maybe you should go without me," she said, staring down at the floor and running her hand restlessly over the black tattoo. "I'm more of a liability than I realized. Things are too personal and I feel…brittle, like I could snap at any moment, and if something I did put you in danger…"

"Aside from the fact that a night out on the town by myself would arouse even more suspicion, you should have realized that this was always going to be personal," he said softly. "And I highly doubt Mr. Black would be satisfied if I was the only one to make an appearance this evening."

Lina nodded and picked up the small clutch purse. "They aren't on the Floo Network. We'll have to floo to the Leaky Cauldron and then apparate over."

"Inconvenient, but probably a wise decision these days," sighed Snape.

They arrived outside the restaurant, still brushing ash from their clothes. They climbed the stairs of the small building and were greeted by an atypically subdued Pierre.

"Welcome, Miss Re—"

"Andersson," Lina interrupted quickly. "The reservations are under the name Andersson."

"Of…of course," Pierre faltered, glancing quickly at Snape's cold impassive face. He then caught sight of the Dark Mark on her arm and swallowed nervously. "Our best table has been prepared for you. We are…are honored to have you join us."

"Your clientele leaves a great deal to be desired," remarked Snape, his lip curling in distaste as he looked around the room.

"If the Muggles are willing to spend their money here now, what of it?" said Lina, waving her hand dismissively. "Let them enjoy their bit of freedom. It won't last much longer."

Pierre was ghost white and wouldn't make eye contact as he escorted them to their table. When he pulled out her chair, Lina touched his hand briefly and as his frightened eyes met hers she winked at him reassuringly. The young man only gave her a quick nod, leaving them to peruse the menu.

"How did you ever find this place?" Severus asked in a low voice. "Wizard owners running a Muggle restaurant?"

"Artemis and I helped the family once. The menu is all in French, do you want some suggestions? I'm not exactly fluent, but I can make my way around well enough."

" _Mais non, merci. Je parle couramment,_ " he responded, keeping his eyes fixed on the menu. _(Not at all, thank you. I am fluent.)_

"Thank you for not being smug about it," Lina remarked dryly. "Any other hidden talents I should know about?"

A half smile crossed his face as he looked up at her. "I'm also fluent in German and Italian, and have published several papers in all three languages on aspects of potion brewing," he said. "I work in a school and have no friends. My free time is spent in various academic pursuits."

Lina tried to stare at him disapprovingly. "These are things I should probably have known…"

"There it is," he said softly.

"There what is?"

"That spark in your eye that you get when you feel combative. I was starting to wonder if I should be concerned that it wouldn't make an appearance this evening. It wouldn't do for our contact to see you looking defeated. He might question whether I was able to keep my promise to him."

Lina stared at him, frozen, as Pierre returned with a notepad to take their orders.

"Duck confit," said Severus briskly.

"Of course, sir, and would you like to select a wine with that? It is traditionally paired with a Madiran or…"

"No, a Cahors," Severus interrupted. "I find the Madiran a touch too tannic."

For a brief moment the young man was speechless, then a surprised grin crossed his face. "Excellent choice sir, I quite agree with you. And for you, Mademoiselle?"

"Salade niçoise," replied Lina, handing him her menu. "And a glass of whatever Rosé you think pairs best."

"Of course, we are at your service," Pierre said, meeting her eyes and tilting his head slightly toward the back of the restaurant.

Lina nodded and reached for her small handbag. "I'll just step into the ladies' room, darling," she said touching Severus' shoulder. "Try not to miss me too much."

As Severus settled back into his chair to wait, an uneasy feeling crept over him. He tried to glance unobtrusively around the room, and as he turned his head slightly to the left, pretending to adjust his collar, he saw them. Lucius and Narcissa sat at a table, thankfully too far away to hear any conversation, but close enough to keep an eye on them, and to know how long Lina was absent from the table.

Deciding to meet the challenge head on, Severus rose languidly from his seat and walked over to their table. "I didn't expect to see you two in a place like this," he said, standing close enough that Lucius was forced to tip his head rather far back to look at him.

"Yes, it's not our usual choice," replied Lucius, shifting his chair backwards. "Someone mentioned that you recommended this restaurant, so we thought we'd try it."

"Did they?" asked Severus smoothly. "And who, precisely, might have mentioned that?"

"Oh, who really remembers?" laughed Lucius. "One simply hears things."

"Indeed," he said, dark eyes staring down at Lucius with just a hint of malice.

"Severus, this doesn't quite seem your type of place," remarked Narcissa softly. "Could this be the influence of your highly unusual inamorata?"

He fixed her with a scrutinizing look. "Lina does, on occasion, suffer from…a romantic penchant. The ambience, French food, French wine, French…endearments. The minimal effort on my part makes her more…pliable, shall we say?"

Narcissa's face fell into her customary stiff expression at this remark, and she looked away. Severus felt a frisson of gratification at her response. Perhaps he was getting better at this innuendo business after all.

"Hmmmm. I suppose there are some that find mingling in places like this…exciting," said Lucius skeptically. "Well, we shouldn't keep you from your meal."

"Lovely to see you, Severus," said Narcissa robotically.

"Indeed," he said dryly, turning to head back to his table.

He sank into the chair and leaned back, trying to appear casual. He sincerely hoped Lina and Black were discussing the necessary intel and hadn't become distracted by…other things. The Malfoys being here was obviously not a coincidence, but their true purpose was also unclear. Who could have known where he and Lina would be dining tonight? Were there other spies at the school? Was the nervous maître d' an informant? Was Black somehow followed?

Severus would be damned if they picked up any sign of uneasiness from him. He hadn't played this role for so many years to be caught out by the likes of Lucius Malfoy. Slowly and deliberately shifting positions, he feigned a bored expression and willed the wine and Lina to hurry up.

* * *

A flock of unruly flamingos seemed to have taken up residence in her stomach as Lina walked down the hall at the back of the building, passing by the door to the toilets and ducking into the office. She blinked a few times at the darkness, and reached for her wand.

"You can turn the light on," came a quiet voice. "I only thought it safer to wait in the shadows until I was certain it was you."

Lina fumbled for the light switch without looking, unwilling to turn her back on his voice. As a dim bulb lit the room, nervous as she was, her body still unconsciously relaxed at the sight of him.

Sirius looked her up and down and his mouth turned up in that signature smirk. "Well, Vixen, how fares the lover of Hogwarts' newest Headmaster?"

The teasing glint in his eyes was something she had sorely missed. "Shut it, Black. My love life is none of your concern," she tossed back, smiling.

"Isn't it?" he asked as his gaze softened.

"Well…I suppose if I had one…"

He crossed the room in two long steps and wrapped her in his arms, whispering into her hair, "Are you certain you're all right? Is it horrible? Has anyone hurt you?"

"I'm fine. I promise," Lina murmured clinging tightly to him as he began kissing her cheeks, her eyelids, her nose. "Sirius we don't have much ti—" her words were smothered as his mouth covered hers, and she foolishly thought for a moment she might cry. How this passionate man happened to fall in love with a cold creature like herself was a mystery she didn't really want to solve.

He pulled away a moment later. "I'm sorry, love. We have to wrap this up quickly."

Lina stepped back and took a deep breath. "Right. We can't attack the Dark Lord outright. He's created horcruxes, items that contain a piece of his soul—"

"We know about them," Sirius interrupted. "His bid for immortality. Does he know that we know?"

"No," said Lina, shaking her head. "I don't think he knows that anyone knows. Dumbledore asked me to try and locate them, he thought they were possibly hidden in the castle…well, Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem and Helga Hufflepuff's cup anyway. Severus thinks the snake that he keeps at his side is one as well, but we can't go after her without giving the show away."

Sirius nodded. "The trick is destroying them once you find them. You're sitting on a pile of basilisk fangs, but Harry said you need to speak Parseltongue to open the chamber inside the castle. Oscar has access to a place where we can use Fiendfyre, but the first time he tried to get in the goblins were in the middle of using it, and he didn't want to arouse too much suspicion. We're trying it again in a couple weeks."

"Trying it on what?" she asked, confusedly. "Have you found one of them?"

Sirius looked grim. "Dumbledore didn't mention there were others, eh? Seven pieces. A diary and ring that have already been destroyed, a necklace that we have, then the diadem, the cup, the snake, and Mister Dark Lord himself."

"No wonder he barely seems human," Lina muttered, shaking her head. "Go back to the part about using basilisk fangs inside the castle. What's that about?"

"You can stab the horcruxes with the fangs to destroy them. You'll have to ask Severus for the whole story about the chamber," he said, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Merlin, I wish we had more time."

"Oh, I haven't even told you about Ellie!" Lina cried, twisting her hands together. "Can you stay here? I'll go back out and try to eat and then come again in a little while."

Sirius nodded, and she turned to leave, stopping when he grabbed her hand. "Is Snape completely on our side?" he asked urgently. "You're certain you can trust him?"

She turned back and squeezed his hand. "He's a good man," she said reassuringly. "I trust him."

"And…and he hasn't tried anything…to take advantage…"

At that Lina glared at him. "Sirius Black, if you think for one minute that I can't hold my own in this situation…"

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "It's been months. I've imagined a lot of worst case scenarios."

"It has been months," she sighed. "And I think Severus finally sees me as more of an equal than a student, and maybe a little as a friend. Probably one of those friends that's always trying to get you into trouble, but I can assure you that is all."

"Go on then," he said, smiling at her. "I'll wait here for you."

Lina squeezed his hand once more and ducked out of the room, moving quickly down the short hallway before threading her way around tables in the dining room. Pierre was just setting their plates down as she slipped into her chair.

"Did he appreciate your choice of attire?" Severus asked in a low voice, as he swirled the dark wine around in his glass before taking a sip.

"I'm not sure he actually noticed," she replied in a dry voice, reaching for her own wineglass.

A soft laugh surprised her as she picked up her fork and started in on her salad. "He may not have mentioned it, but I'm sure he noticed," Severus said, shaking his head. "Keep your voice down and don't look over. The Malfoys are here pretending to enjoy their dinner."

Lina plastered on a bright smile and leaned in towards him. "And just how do you suppose that happened?"

"No idea. But be aware that they are watching us very, very closely. Now what information was Black willing to share?"

"They know about the horcruxes," Lina said, dropping her voice. "Turns out there were more. A couple have already been destroyed, they have one…a necklace of some kind, plus the two I'm looking for and the snake."

Severus frowned and began cutting into his duck with a little more vehemence than was strictly necessary.

Lina reached out and ran her finger over his cheek and jaw, "Careful there, pet. We have to keep up appearances."

He deliberately set down his knife and fork and took her hand, bringing it to his lips for a split second.

Lina couldn't hold back a genuine laugh at that. "See? I knew someday you'd get the hang of this."

A rare smile crossed his face. "Miss Laurent," he began quite solemnly.

"Yes?" Lina asked, spearing a bite of her salad and tilting her head questioningly.

"In the event that we are caught and killed, I simply wanted you to know that it has been an honor…and a pleasure," he added thoughtfully, "to know you and work with you."

Lina stared at him, dumbfounded, the fork arrested halfway to her lips. Catching herself, she set the fork down and reached for his hand. Folding her fingers over his, she looked at him sternly. "Sir, if you die on my watch _that_ will be the one greatest regret of my life. Don't. You. Dare."

He regarded her silently, his dark eyes glittering in the muted light of the room.

Lina released his hand and reclaimed her fork. "How's the duck?" she asked lightly, before shoving a large bite of potato in her mouth.

Severus began once more to carve up the tender meat, and Lina took a larger than normal swig of the wine. They ate in silence for several minutes until Lina remembered the information she hadn't been able to share yet with Sirius.

"We have to try and do something about Ellie and those children," she said softly.

Severus shook his head. "What would you suggest? No one can apparate in or out, there are Death Eaters roaming the halls constantly, and Mrs. Burke herself doesn't remember anything that's happened over the last year. How would you even begin to convince her to trust you?"

"We know where her son is," Lina reminded him, tearing into a piece of bread. "And the last time I was there I overheard her mention to Narcissa that she would be checking on the children there after the next full moon. Her natural compassion is going to want to get them out of there."

"But we can't get them out," he repeated calmly, before taking another bite and chewing it slowly.

"What about a portkey?"

Severus paused with the wineglass at his lips. "That may work," he began cautiously. "They certainly wouldn't be expecting anyone to give the prisoners a portkey. But rumor is that the basement is escape proof. Only their house elves can apparate in and out."

Lina smiled triumphantly at that piece of information. "Well, I happen to know someone with a house elf that might be willing to help!"

A partly skeptical, partly amused look crossed his face at her enthusiasm. "That is not part of our assignment," he said.

"You're in charge of our assignments now," Lina replied, pointing her fork at him.

Severus raised his eyebrows. "Oh? Then you had better make a final trip to the ladies' while I deal with the bill."

Lina rose from her seat and leaned down to kiss his cheek as she walked around the table. Snape smiled indulgently and watched her walk away, his heart thudding a little nervously as he noticed Narcissa stand as well and follow after her.

Just before she reached the door to the ladies' room, a whiff of perfume filled the hallway. Lina reached for the door and entered, Narcissa joining her a moment later.

Lina opened her small handbag and pulled out a compact, leaning towards the mirror and watching Narcissa's reflection as she powdered her face. "Did you enjoy your dinner?" she asked as the other woman stood next to her.

"Well, I can't say it's quite up to par with what I enjoyed in Paris," Narcissa answered, removing a tube of lipstick from her own purse.

"No, they specialize in southern French cuisine," Lina offered. "It is a little different." Feigning a sudden onset of stomach cramps, she dropped the compact abruptly and clutched at her abdomen. "Oh! Oh, dear, Narcissa, perhaps you're right. The anchovies in that salad don't seem to be setting well with me at all."

As she'd hoped, a look of revulsion crossed Narcissa's face, and she took a step back towards the door. "I hope you're not too badly off," she said, opening the door. "I'll just tell Severus that you're feeling a bit ill, shall I?"

"Thank you, I would appreciate…oh…oh, you'll have to excuse me…" Lina said hurriedly as she lunged for an open stall and slammed the door. She waited as she heard Narcissa quickly leave and then counted out two minutes before exiting the stall. "Daft cow," she muttered as she gathered up her handbag and left.

Ducking once more into the small office, she was pushed up against the door as soon as it closed, Sirius nibbling at her ear and neck before kissing her soundly on the lips again. Lina let herself kiss him fervently for a minute before pushing him away. "I have to tell you about Ellie," she panted.

Sirius stepped back. "You know who took her?" he asked gravely.

"Her husband. She's staying with him, but when he's called away for whatever tasks the Dark Lord gives him she stays at Malfoy Manor. He doesn't trust her not to leave."

"So she hasn't told them anything about us? They don't know where we are?"

"I may have…obliviated her," Lina said. "It was lucky I happened to be there when they brought her in. They haven't gotten any information out of her, but she doesn't remember anything that happened after she tried to leave England with Finn."

Sirius winced. "That's going to be hard to explain to Kieran. Is there any chance of getting her out?"

"Possibly, but there's more. Fenrir Greyback is in charge of creating a new werewolf army."

"We know. We've had a couple run-ins with him and some followers. They're looking for the kids from the last war."

"And they're starting from scratch. There's six children locked up at the Malfoys' also. All werewolves."

Sirius cursed under his breath. "Well, we can take them if you have a way to get them out."

Lina nodded briskly. "We're trying a portkey first. Where should we charm it to send them?"

Fumbling in his pocket for a second, Sirius pulled out a small wooden carving of a fox. "You can use this. It will send them to a field a mile away from our headquarters. We'll add it to our regular daily patrols, so if it works tell them to just stay where they land. We'll come and get them."

Running her fingers over the small carving, Lina smiled. "I might be tempted to use this myself," she said softly. The next moment she was wrapped once more in Sirius' arms. Lina sighed contentedly and they stood there in silence, savoring the stolen moment.

"You need to go," Sirius finally whispered, drawing back.

"I know. Oh, and the basement at the Malfoy House is supposed to be impossible to escape from, so if the portkey won't work, I'll be in touch about borrowing Kreacher."

"More 'wee beasties?' He'll be furious or delighted, there's no way to tell," laughed Sirius. "If Artemis and I tackle him together I'm sure he'll be willing."

"How is Artemis? I'm furious I missed the wedding."

"She's good. Everyone's doing really well all things considered. Are you sure _you're_ doing well?"

"Really well, all things considered," she parroted back at him, smiling.

Sirius smiled and trailed his fingertips through her hair. "I suppose I could get used to the red hair if I had to," he said softly.

"Oh no, I can't get rid of this color soon enough," Lina said, shaking her head. "Now, I really should go. So we're on the same page," she continued, ticking items off on her fingers, "We're all looking for the horcruxes and using basilisk fangs or…what was the other thing?"

"Fiendfyre."

"Fiendfyre to destroy them. When that's finished we'll tackle the snake. I'm getting this portkey to Ellie and convincing her to leave with the children. Not sure who I can blame that on yet. It'll be a little hard to explain seven people vanishing from a locked basement."

"Oh, and we're trying to keep Greyback from locating the other werewolf pack," Sirius added. "They're healed, and we've been training them, apart from a couple that joined up with Greyback."

"All right, I really have to go now," Lina said. The postbox in Belgravia is still the safest way to contact me for now." She cupped his face in her hands, trying to memorize him. "I wish this didn't keep me away from you," she whispered.

Sirius smiled. "You are, without a doubt, the bravest, cleverest, prettiest, and most honorable Slytherin I've ever had the good fortune to know," he said, leaning in to kiss her again. "And this war won't keep you away from me forever."

Lina withdrew from the room and once more made her way back to the table, noting thankfully that the Malfoys were nowhere to be seen. She took Severus' arm and they left, pausing to thank Pierre for his help. The young man seemed a little less terrified of them and he whispered for Miss Renarde to please take care of herself and he hoped to see her and Miss Lionne again sometime soon.

As they walked down the stairs to the street level, loud swing music filtered enticingly into the street from the dance club. Lina glanced up at Severus. "I don't suppose you'd be interested—"

"Not in the least."

* * *

I think Lina and Snape might be my favorite BroTP ever. They are so much fun to write! Thank you all for reading along - I hope you're enjoying it! And many thanks to ElectricSheep78 for help with the Irish words! Her LOTR fanfic, "The Time of Growing" is incredible!


	72. Chapter 72

Chapter 72 ~ October, 1997

The necklace had screamed as it died. Gareth stood there stiffly, waiting for the goblin at his side to determine when the fire burned itself out and it was again safe to open the door. Oscar kept glancing at him in concern, but Gareth didn't want to meet his eyes. He was still reeling from the words the necklace had begun shrieking at him while he carried it into the sealed metal room, as though it were attacking whoever might dare try and destroy it.

 _Unwanted_

 _Unnecessary_

 _Unloved_

He felt a firm hand grip his shoulder. "That thing was steeped in evil," Oscar said softly. "It lashed out because it knew its end was near. Whatever it said or showed you is a lie."

Gareth nodded. Lies. Of course they were lies. Harry had told them how the diary fought back, and Gareth was grateful he didn't have to deal with some shade of Tom Riddle himself. But words like that still sink deep. Oscar had told him how proud he was, every look and gesture from Rosa had done nothing but convey that he was loved. His pack had shown over and over again that they appreciated and respected his opinions. Yet there was still that seed of uncertainty. His birth parents hadn't wanted him. They had chosen to give him to a monster rather that keep him and care for him and raise him. And sometimes Gareth had to wonder how much of a person was nature versus nurture. If he were being honest, he knew deep within himself there was a kernel of vengefulness. When he'd played that trick on the Veela cousin at Bill's wedding it was partly because he wanted to see her as humiliated as Deirdre had been. If it had only been about being kind, he could have swept the redhead out of the tent and not looked back. But he felt the need to even the score somehow. And while he was willing to fight in this war because it was the right thing to do, he also wanted a chance to get back at the people that had ravaged his childhood. Was a vengeful spirit something he'd inherited from his unknown Death Eater family? Was it simply the remnant of a heritage that had been supplanted by the love and care of his adopted family?

The goblin turned the creaking wheel on the door, rather like a submarine hatch, and there was a hiss and sigh as the door opened, still-hot air wafting over them. Gareth shook off his dark thoughts and entered the space, heat seeping from the floor through his shoes. There in the middle of the room was a small pile of ashes. The third horcrux was now silenced. He toed at the pile with his shoe, shifting the ashes around and grinding some into the floor. So strange to think that they'd just destroyed part of someone's soul. Of course, the very act of segmenting the soul to try and gain immortality was an abomination, so in a way Voldemort had already destroyed himself.

"Three down, four to go," he murmured.

Oscar nodded.

"I am sorry the locket did not withstand our test," piped the goblin, frowning at the ashes. "Was it one of our pieces?" he asked curiously, glancing up at Oscar.

The words were innocuous enough, but a glint of rancor shown in the creature's eyes.

"I do not believe so," replied Oscar mildly. "This piece was quite old, and yours are better crafted. I thank you for your time."

"Will you be checking in our work again soon, Mr. Rodriguez?"

Gareth glanced at Oscar and then down at the goblin. Again, that faint tone of…something.

"Oh, I do not think that will be necessary," said Oscar. "This factory has always been in peak operating condition. Today was really just an opportunity to show my son how advanced your testing facilities are, and to take care of this little problem with my friend's locket."

"Oscar," came a low voice from behind them. "It's been a long time."

Gareth felt, more than saw, his father stiffen at the sound and he slowly turned to the voice.

"Hello, Luis," greeted Oscar cautiously. "Yes, it has been a long time."

The man in the black suit looked remarkably like Oscar, Gareth noted, but without the relaxed and caring aura. He stood woodenly, with his hands clasped behind his back. "Strange that having lived in this country for so many years, Oscar, it is only lately that you've begun to be seen around places…the embassy, Gringotts, this factory. What can you have been up to?"

"You know I have still been very involved, if not visibly present. Owl post is a marvelous thing. Rosa and I decided to focus on raising our family, rather than spend hours every day in an office. And my children are of an age now that they need to see the details of how the business is run."

Oscar gestured toward Gareth as he said this, and Gareth felt Luis' cold eyes run over him. "Yes. I believe I have seen him at some embassy functions. And how do you see the Rodriguez Silver Corporation benefiting under this new…administration? Surely it is no coincidence that you have suddenly taken a more visible role just as this government is overturned?"

 _He's not sure what side we're on,_ Gareth realized suddenly.

"I am…open to seeing what the future may hold," replied Oscar, calmly. "Although I think businessmen are rarely benefited by enmeshing themselves in politics."

A cold smile broke over Luis' face. "Well, perhaps you would be interested in sitting in on the meeting that will shortly begin in the conference room. This factory has been asked to manufacture some very specific pieces. The clients are interested in seeing if goblin-wrought silver might be useful in helping to control some unusual allies of the new administration."

"I would be most interested in sitting in on this meeting, Luis." Oscar's voice was still completely calm, but Gareth could sense his tension. " _Mi hijo_ , you should return home," he added, turning to Gareth. "Please let your _mamá_ know that I will not be returning until later."

"I have some errands to run," said Gareth slowly. "Joshua and I can meet you back here in a couple hours." His stomach turned over at the idea of leaving his father here on his own, and hoped his words would convey that he would return with backup if necessary.

"As you wish," Oscar said, waving his hand dismissively. "Now, Luis, Please tell me your thoughts on how you see the company adjusting to the new political climate?"

The two men walked away, and Gareth stared after them for a moment before quickly making his way out of the factory and down the street to the nearest ally, where he disapparated.

* * *

A warming charm was keeping the corner of the large barn that Fred and George had usurped for their mail-order business nice and cozy despite the chill wind that whipped around the building. In the middle of the workspace was a large wooden box with metal pipes sticking up at the back and two rows of piano keys stretched across the front. Isabel stood before it, pushed a button to the right, and tentatively played a scale, her fingers running quickly over the keys. The bright sounds of a trumpet resounded through the space, echoing off the metal roof and walls. She pushed another button and the mellow notes of a saxophone filled the room, then a trombone, then a tuba. Each note sounded perfectly from the pipes, and a wide grin spread across her face as she turned to the redhead beside her.

"That's it!" yelped Isabel. "We did it!" She grabbed George's hands and spun around in a circle before taking a step back to again admire their handiwork. The very first prototype of a "Weasley Four-in-One-Brass-O-Matic Organ, patent pending," was finally finished.

"Just needs a bit of paint and polish, and she'll be ready to play for Gareth's party," George said, running his hand over the keys.

"I know I've said it before, but you are amazing," Isabel smiled up at George. "I mean, just the fact that you bothered to save this thing when your building was burning down around you is incredible! And then you're still trying to run your business, and help out around here, and go out on missions, and start up that radio broadcast to keep people informed of what's going on with the resistance. It's just…amazing. You're amazing."

The last phrase was said very softly as Isabel took a step closer to him and George's heart began to thump erratically as he watched her wet her lips and widen her eyes entreatingly. He leaned towards her, and her eyes closed, face tilting up in expectation.

"Ah-hem," Joshua loudly cleared his throat from the doorway, and George jumped back several feet. "Fred said that you had a book for me," Joshua said, leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest.

Isabel sighed. "I guess I'll go see about getting some paint. Killjoy," she muttered under her breath as she ducked around Joshua and left the barn.

George cleared his throat awkwardly. He could never quite tell if Joshua was flat out that intimidating, or just trying to appear so. "Um, yeah. The book. It was one of the things I grabbed from the Burrow after our shop burned. You said you were interested in more of the theories and background of defensive spells and things. I found this at a book stall in London, and the cover's right off and it's pretty beat up, but I found it helpful when we were with Dumbledore's Army at school. It kind of digs into the theoretical stuff about why some spells work better than others depending on the type of dark magic you're dealing with."

He held out the tattered pages, and Joshua took them gingerly. " _An Armory of Magic: The Philosophy and History of Defensive Spells_ , by J. Howell," he read aloud. "And the guy really knows his stuff?"

George nodded. "Yeah. It takes the basics that were covered in our DADA classes and just digs deeper. I find that I can cast stronger spells when I understand how they were created and why. It helps me focus, I guess."

"I appreciate you letting me borrow it."

"Hey, wait. Can I ask you something?" George blurted out as Joshua turned to leave.

Joshua raised his eyebrows and looked at him expectantly. George's mind raced through the options…was there _anyone_ else he could ask? Probably not. "So, um, you and Daisy. How do you…" his voice trailed off and Joshua frowned.

"How do we what?" he prodded.

"I mean. You two…snog right?"

Joshua just stared at him, and George pulled nervously at his collar, certain his neck was quickly approaching a vivid pink. "That is…uh…you werewolves seem a fairly old fashioned lot…er, that is…conservative? Really just…scary. Yeah, you're scary, and I really, really like your sister and I don't want to cock anything up…or wind up carved into small pieces and eaten, which is what Xander said he'd do, so where is…the line?"

His speech had tumbled out of his mouth faster and faster, as Joshua continued to regard him steadily, and by the end George was not only out of breath, but also rather embarrassed and a little annoyed.

"Are you asking me how far you can get with my sister before somebody kills you?" Joshua asked, drawing his brows together.

"No! Well…not exactly how far, just…" George opened his mouth, closed it again, and shrugged, wondering if he would even be leaving the barn alive.

Leaning back against the door with a sigh, Joshua studied George for a minute. "Listen," he finally said, "the line has to be drawn before you get to that moment, because once you're in the moment you're going to want the line to be further out. So think about what you want, back up a few steps, and then draw the line. And yeah," he added with a nod, "if you screw up, Xander's probably going to eat you…if Gareth doesn't get you first. Thanks again for the book."

He turned abruptly and left. "So that went…well?" George remarked to the empty workshop.

* * *

Gareth had arrived in a bit of a panic looking for backup to take to the factory in case things went badly for Oscar. Situated in what appeared to be an abandoned mill, the silver factory was hidden in plain sight in an overwhelmingly Muggle area. Using werewolf forms was inadvisable, and wand users needed to be discreet and not easily recognized, so Artemis, Hawthorne, and Joshua joined Gareth in staking the place out until Oscar made an appearance. Thankfully only an hour or so later, he walked calmly out the front door, pausing to turn back and shake the hand of a grim looking man in a dark suit. Gareth and Joshua, who had been pretending to only now be approaching the building joined Oscar and the three headed down the street to a nearby alley. Artemis and Hawthorne, who had been keeping tabs on the situation from a pub across the road met them there before disapparating back home.

Dinner that evening was interesting to say the least as Gareth and Oscar shared what had occurred with the horcrux and the meeting with Luis. "So what kind of order was being placed?" asked Harry.

Oscar looked grim. "Collars and chains for You-Know-Who's werewolves. Apparently they think goblins can imbue the pieces with magic strong enough to control them during the full moon."

There was a shocked silence that fell over the room.

Artemis and Sirius stared at each other across the table. Glancing uneasily at Remus beside her, Artemis sighed and nodded at Sirius. "We, uh, may know a little about that," Sirius began. "We've heard that Greyback has already turned at least six children. They're being held at Malfoy Manor."

The dismay and anger from the younger Americans was immediate and loud, Gareth letting out a string of curses before Oscar silenced him with a look.

"What are they planning to do with collars and leads, take them out on walks?" said Harry incredulously.

"But they'll be, uncontrollable," said Hermione slowly, "Wild things, rampaging about…no offense."

"They'll use them as war dogs," Gareth sighed. "They won't have to worry about capturing people and feeding them to the werewolves if they can take the wolves out and unleash them."

"But how are they going to keep them from just running away? Who would be strong enough to hang on to the leads or chase them down?" asked Fred.

"Other werewolves," Daisy said frowning. "They must be using some of the men from Mr. McIntyre's pack that can control the changes as…as…"

"Wranglers," offered Xavier dryly. "Kids'll be smaller and easier to manage."

"Where did this information come from?" Remus finally asked in a soft voice.

Everyone turned to look at Sirius, who waited for Artemis to nod again before he spoke. "I met up with…Lina."

Instead of the outcry that accompanied the announcement about the werewolves, this statement was met with stunned silence.

"Did you tell her you were thinking about joining her and the Death Eaters?" Harry finally said in an angry, sarcastic tone.

"Harry, Lina and Severus are working undercover," Artemis said in an attempt at a calm voice. "They're actually looking for the horcruxes as well—"

"But isn't that what they would say if they thought you would believe it?" Hermione interrupted, biting her lip anxiously.

"She brought up the topic first," said Sirius. "She started trying to explain what Riddle had done, and I told her we already knew about them. Harry, Dumbledore told you he thought Riddle might have hidden them in the school. He recruited Lina to come on staff and look for them. When we saw them back in July she said she and Snape were the Trojan horse, trying to work against Vol—What's His Name, from the inside."

"You also met with her in July?" asked Kieran, his eyes dark and ominous as he stared at Sirius.

"No. It was just a moment after the battle in Little Whinging. She and Severus—"

"The same Severus Snape that took my ear off?" asked George, no trace of teasing or good humor on his face.

"I think he was aiming at the dark wizard that was trying to hit Kingsley," offered Artemis. "I don't think he intended to hit you…not that it's much of a consolation. Anyway, they had plenty of opportunity to kill us that night and they didn't. I've known Lina for ten years…"

"Severus Snape is a murderer!" Harry burst out. "I don't care what they're telling you or what information they're willing to share. He killed Professor Dumbledore, the very man he was supposedly working for!"

"If you want to get in good with your employers, I mean really cement your commitment, offing the competition's top man is sure the way to do it," said Xander.

"Harry, Professor Dumbledore was going to die anyway," Daisy said softly, her eyes looking past him. "The ring he destroyed…that horcrux...it was cursed, and the curse was slowly killing him."

"Daisy, what are you saying?" asked Kieran, frowning.

"He was ready to die," she said in a far off voice. "Allowing Professor Snape to kill him made the Professor more…trustworthy to Tom Riddle."

"Was his loyalty in question?" asked Hawthorne.

Daisy blinked suddenly, as though she was waking up and shrugged helplessly. "I don't know about that. But I do know," she added firmly, "that Lina and Professor Snape are on our side. Their warriors are very strong."

In the silence following that statement, Sirius cleared his throat. "There's more," he said mildly. "The wife of one of the Death Eaters helps take care of the children. Lina thinks she can convince her to help the children escape, and bring them to us."

"Why would this woman turn on the Death Eaters to help werewolves?" asked Ron, skeptically. "Even if they are just kids. I mean, we know you lot, so we're not…you know, prejudiced. But most wizards… "

Daisy was already smiling at Sirius. "You found Ellie!" she said happily. "Didn't you?"

The crash of broken glass startled everyone, and they turned to see Kieran staring at Sirius, a fragment of his water glass still clenched in his fist, as his eyes willed him to verify the statement.

"It is Ellie," Sirius said slowly, his eyes somber as they met Kieran's frantic ones. "She's being allowed to help take care of the kids. We gave Lina a portkey for them to use when she can arrange it. If they can't get the portkey to work she'll be in touch about using Kreacher to apparate them out."

"Is she all right?" Kieran asked hoarsely.

"As far as I know she's fine. She hasn't been able to tell them anything about us because…because Lina obliviated her."

"How much?" asked Kieran, though from the way Sirius glanced away it was obvious.

"Think about it," said Artemis gently. "Ellie knew everything about where we are, what other people were in the Order, where the werewolf pack was, the Roberts' half-way house, how you can control the transformations and what you're capable of. Lina had to remove all of that…to keep Ellie safe, as well as the rest of us."

"How much?" he asked again, completely unaware of the the trickle of blood seeping through his fingers where he gripped the glass shard.

"She doesn't remember anything that happened after she decided to try and leave the UK with Finn," said Sirius reluctantly.

Daisy came over and gently pulled open his hand, picking out the glass shard. Wiping off the blood with a napkin, she whispered reassuringly, "This is a delay Kieran, not a denial."

"Daddy hurt hi' han'," said Finn, clambering out of his chair beside Xavier and coming over to Kieran. The little boy took Kieran's hand and patted the palm gently. "Daddy ok?"

"I'm ok, buddy," said Kieran. "It's just a…" his voice trailed off as he looked down at his hand, the skin clean and unblemished, as if the wound had never existed.

"Well," said Jane softly. "We were wondering when it might happen. Looks like Finn has some healing magic in him like his mother."

Kieran lifted Finn onto his lap and held out his hand for him to see. "It's all better, buddy, see? Your magic made it all better. Finn smiled and patted Kieran's hand again. "Daddy, I ha' cookie?"

"Come with me sweetie," said Catherine, standing from her seat. "Jane and I made plenty of cookies. We'll get the dessert and coffee set up in the living room."

As she left with the little boy in hand, Kieran let the Alpha take over. "Right then," he said brusquely. "As long as Ellie's all right we can deal with the memory issues later. Between us and McIntyre's pack we can handle the kids when they get here. And we have two more working on the horcruxes. That's all well and good, but the way you two handled this was all wrong," he said, looking from Sirius to Artemis. "You of all people should know that secrets are more likely to make things needlessly complicated," he chided Artemis, the sting of the words lessened by the kindness in his voice. "From now on we share all intel, got it?"

Artemis and Sirius both nodded meekly, but a roguish spark was already apparent in Sirius' eyes.

"So we're just accepting that Lina and Snape are on our side now?" asked Harry, trying to sound severe, but recognizing the hint of petulance in his voice.

Kieran looked at him. "I suppose you don't have to accept anything," he said lightly. "As for my pack, yes, that's what we're doing. Our Seer has been told that they are trustworthy."

At the finality in his voice, the Americans nodded and pushed their chairs back, beginning to gather up dishes. After exchanging somewhat helpless glances, the Weasleys, Hermione, and finally Harry stood too.

Sensing how tense and still Remus was beside her, Artemis turned toward him. "Remus?" Artemis said hesitantly. But he only clenched his jaw and refused to look at her, the atmosphere quickly becoming uncomfortable.

"Right, you three are on clean up detail then," said Jane, patting Sirius on the shoulder. "It'll give you a chance to talk this over. Coffee and dessert in the living room for the rest of you."

The ragtag family left quietly, uncertain who they should be supporting in the moment. A tense silence fell, broken only by Ana's soft chatter as she pushed the remainders of her dinner around on the tray, and Sirius tapping the sides of his water glass nervously.

"You lied to me," Remus said quietly.

Artemis clenched her fists in her lap, nails digging into her palms in hope that the pain would distract her from the tears that threatened to fall.

"Moony," Sirius began, but Remus silenced him with a look, and Sirius went back to his tapping. He thought sharing their independent op and the intel they received from Lina had gone better than expected. Mostly, Sirius had to admit, because the intel, combined with Oscar's experience that afternoon, was important enough to overshadow the fact that they'd gone off on their own. But Remus clearly did not share that opinion. He had grown very still during the recounting of the event, his eyes filled with disappointment as he looked from his wife to his best friend.

"I shouldn't feel like the pair of you are recalcitrant students who are incapable of presenting your opinions in a logical, adult manner, and instead feel the need to sneak around and carry out intelligence operations on your own, knowingly putting everyone of us at risk," he said.

"The risk was…minimal," Artemis began haltingly, "and we felt that given previous discussions, you would not be open to the idea."

"So you decided to not even give me a chance," he replied, shaking his head.

"What could I possibly have said that would have changed your mind?!" Artemis finally burst out. "Your experiences have made you unwilling to trust people! Because your friend betrayed you, you expect mine to do the same!"

The tension thickened considerably in the room, and Artemis, staring down at her lap, missed Sirius' cringe and the shocked and hurt expression that flashed across Remus face.

"Sirius, leave please," said Remus coldly.

Pushing his chair back, Sirius stood and moved to take Ana from her high chair. "Come on, Eel. Mummy and Daddy need to have an argument right now. We'll get out of the blast zone." As he passed behind Artemis, he ruffled her hair, and shot Remus a look. "Do I need to take your wands?"

Remus sighed and shook his head, acknowledging the unspoken statement. Sirius was on her side, and Remus had better watch himself.

When they were alone in the room, he was struck by the memory of Artemis forcing back tears in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place as she tried to explain that he could trust her. He had told her she unsettled him, and he instinctively pulled away from it. Maybe he hadn't changed quite as much as he thought he had, because she was right, he realized. Discussing the idea with him probably wouldn't have changed his mind. But it didn't excuse the fact that she should have tried to discuss it, she was his wife. Then at least they could have told him of their plan, even if he didn't agree.

"You made a decision based on the faith you had in your friend," he finally said in a quiet voice. "But forgive me if I feel that you and I should have faith in each other as well. If I should have trusted you to make this decision, than you should have trusted me to hear you out. I wouldn't have agreed, but I hope by now I would have at least trusted you…and Sirius," he added, "to run a mission. And if the rest of us had known what you were doing we could have had back up in place."

Despite feeling like it made her look extremely foolish, Artemis began crying in earnest. "I'm so…sorry," she wept. "I couldn't take the idea of arguing with you so close to the wedding. You're so…so _right_ about everything all the time. Sometimes you act like I'm not capable of…of fighting or running ops because of Ana."

Remus frowned and drew a handkerchief from his pocket. Standing, he pulled Artemis up and into his arms. "That just isn't true," he said, trying not to sound overly stern as her tears wet his shoulder. "Shhhh, I'm sorry," he murmured into her ear. "I don't think you incapable. I just worry about losing you. Lina has put herself into a very dangerous position, and even the best of intentions can crumble in the face of evil."

Artemis sniffed again and wiped at her eyes with the handkerchief. "I promise I won't keep things from you any more. I just need to know that you trust me, even if you can't trust her. Like Sirius decided to trust her, even though it meant trusting Severus."

"If Sirius Black and Severus Snape can agree to work together for the sake of one woman then she must be indomitable, indeed," he commented, shaking his head ruefully. "I will put my trust in you. Can you trust me to only have our best interests at heart, even when we disagree? I assure you I don't disagree with you just be contrary."

"Really?" she asked, looking at him skeptically. "There's not some little part of you that enjoys being contrary?"

"Well," he said slowly, tilting her chin up towards him. "I do enjoy being right in an argument. I also rather enjoy making up afterwards."

* * *

A fire crackled cheerfully in the large fireplace against the October cold snap, and most of the household was gathered in the living room, enjoying cups of coffee or tea or hot chocolate as they crowded into couches and on floor pillows.

"What a stressful day," Jane remarked, as she passed around a platter of cookies. "Oscar, we were all so relieved some sort of…of intervention wasn't necessary this afternoon."

"Yes," Oscar agreed with a sigh. "There were a few moments where I wasn't certain I would ever be leaving the factory, but my support of this new client's orders seemed to convince them that I was on their side, at least tentatively."

"We're ready for your daily broadcast!" Fred announced, as the doors banged open. George followed behind him, carrying a large case that contained the radio equipment.

"I think I'll see if Artemis needs help in the kitchen," said Jane, ducking out of the room, Hawthorne frowned after her.

Daisy shrugged offered him a smile. "She doesn't like to hear the list of names. You know… tries not to focus on the negative stuff," she said.

"Yeah, I gotta be honest, your broadcasts are kind of depressing," Isabel added, turning apologetically to the twins, "focusing on the people who are missing."

"We're trying to be respectful of the families," said Fred. "I think it's important to get information out there so people can take precautions and know what's happening. We can set up the equipment somewhere else if it bothers her."

"It reminds Jane of the disappearances her grandparents talked about," said Oscar softly.

Hawthorne nodded in sudden understanding. "Ah yes, under the Nazis. And your country has experienced something similar, has it not?"

"Yes, after Rosa and I were imprisoned on the reservation Peru suffered a number of forced disappearances during armed conflicts with the government. As did many other South American countries."

"It's not just a problem with the magical world," said Daisy with a sigh.

"Y'all should make the broadcasts more like Fireside Chats," offered Xavier.

Everyone turned and looked at him, most in confusion. Only Hawthorne nodded in agreement.

"You know, FDR during World War II…" Xavier tried to explain, before trailing off. Everyone kept looking at him expectantly. "He was America's president in the thirties and forties. We were in the middle of the Depression and then fighting a war with Germany and Japan. So the president would come on the radio and talk to the people about how the government was trying to help and remind them what they were fighting for. They called it a fireside chat 'cause it sounded cozier."

"Were Muggles fighting Grindlewald in Germany in the forties?" whispered Sirius to Hawthorne.

"They call it World War Two. They didn't know wizards were involved," he whispered back. "You mean to add in programming?" he asked, raising his voice. "Have specific broadcast times to talk about what people are fighting for, and remind them to stay strong?"

Xavier nodded. "Maybe give them hope, not just a rundown of how bad things are…"

"Could we handle twenty-four hour programming like a real radio station?" suggested Isabel. "We can divide up slots and focus on different things."

Fred nodded thoughtfully. "That's not a bad idea. Right now we're telling people to tune in at certain times to go over a list of the missing or dead. What if we were on continually to encourage people that they aren't alone? Tell them that we're still fighting and remind them why we're doing this, give them hope, like Xavier said."

"See?" Catherine murmured. "I told you you were a romantic." Xavier smiled at her sheepishly.

"I think that's a marvelous idea," said Sirius. "You lads are the brains behind the original broadcast," he added, turning to the twins. "Think you can organize it?"

George grinned and nodded. "It's a great idea. We'll still have to switch up the frequencies we're broadcasting from, and give people the passwords to find us, but we can do that a few times a day instead of once."

"Wicked," added Fred, rubbing his hands together eagerly.

"And," said Isabel, "I know of a band that would really like some exposure."

George laughed. "I should have known you'd have an angle to play."

"What band?" asked Daisy. "Why wouldn't we play ourselves if they need music?"

Joshua grabbed the pillow that Isabel launched across the room before it hit Daisy in the face. "Isabel means our band, Daisy," he said.

"Oh good. I mean, if we have the opportunity, we should play, right?" Daisy replied, smiling.

Joshua grinned at her fondly, and Isabel rolled her eyes. "So!" she said brightly. "What should we play for our first on-air set?"

* * *

I told someone this morning this story feels a little like following a television series, with side characters and seasonal characters and walk-ons making appearances around the main story. Thanks for reading along! I sincerely hope and expect the book to be finished by Christmas...hopefully.


	73. Chapter 73

Chapter 73 ~ October, 1997

Seated yet again around the long, ornate dining table at the Malfoy Estate, Lina felt a moment of sincere thankfulness that Professor Snape had offered her the job at Hogwarts. That role ensured she only occasionally had to be present at these Death Eater gatherings. Left to try and find a way into the flock on her own, she probably would have ended up in a much more tenuous and dangerous role. As it was, the fear and tension around the table was palpable, and Lina found herself weary from the focused effort of clamping her mind shut against any attempted infiltrations.

 _It is to your benefit that I find this situation amusing…the traitors in our midst._

Lina's warrior tightened her grip on her battle axe at the voice, and glared at the swirling darkness that pulsated around Tom Riddle.

 _That is one of the great differences between us, I think._ The dark mass spoke thoughtfully for a moment, his mocking tone lessened. _These mortals are merely pawns in this war between your master and mine, surely you can see that. It is of no real concern to me that my charge is unaware of your charges' treachery. He has sold his soul to my master and will be lost regardless of what happens here, as it is with most around this table. You are pathetically outnumbered, and yet you insist on behaving as if each individual matters._

Ellie's warrior tensed, and shifted her broadsword from one hand to the other. _Of course they matter! And they would matter to you as well if you hadn't abandoned your duty and rebelled!_

Severus' warrior had been engaged in this struggle much longer, and did not visibly react to the challenge. He held his twin scimitars loosely in front of his charge, his posture alert, but not tense. _This is an old argument. The ways of The One Who Sits on the Throne always seem foolish to those who are blind._

A harsh laugh echoed from the darkness. _Blind? We are not blind. We alone see the true purpose in The Creator's ways, to keep creation enslaved. If you would but join us you could see this. We are given freedom to manipulate the world as we see fit, and mortals are so easily entangled in this freedom._

 _Your master has no kingdom, and so makes sport of The Creator's work. We are not the ones enslaved. And were it slavery, I would still commit myself to it as a weapon of righteousness rather than depravity._

 _Valiant words. We shall see then…we shall see._

"Well, well, well." Voldemort's voice resounded suddenly, sounding eerily like that of his dark companion. "Now, Fenrir, tell me. What news do you have in your efforts to rebuild my…canine division?"

"The order for the goblin-wrought silver collars and leads is in production. My men have assured me that they will be able to handle the new converts on the outside."

"Excellent. And have you been able to locate my other assets?"

At this question, Greyback shrank back slightly. "We have come close to apprehending the pack, My Lord. But my men tell me that the original assets were not members of their pack. They were only there the day I saw them to help with…with combat training."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop by several degrees. "So you have no idea where these assets are, then?" Voldemort asked in a terrifyingly calm voice.

"N…no, My Lord," Greyback stuttered, and swallowed hard. "But we have more at our disposal now then we did then. Surely our current situation is sufficient—"

"Those assets are mine!" Voldemort yelled unexpectedly, causing most around the table to jump in their seat. "They were given to me and I want them back!"

He stilled and his slitted red eyes glared at the werewolf, who was now visibly trembling in his chair. "You must make an example of the pack," he continued quietly. "Find them and wipe them out. That will send a message to those who seek to recruit among the dark creatures. If my assets are attempting to train them to fight against us, then at some point they will find them all dead…message received."

"Yes, My Lord," Greyback nodded. "We will redouble our efforts."

As the meeting broke up, Lina looked for an opportunity to get Ellie off on her own, fully aware of the irony of telling Ellie to trust no one, and then needing her trust. She saw Ellie whisper something to Claudius, who made a sour face before nodding. Ellie slipped away from the group, heading toward the wall panel that concealed the basement steps. Lina leaned over to Severus and tried to look like she was saying something seductive as she whispered in his ear that she was going to follow her.

"Checking up on the little monsters?" Lina asked lightly as she caught up with Ellie in the shadowed hallway.

"I'm a Healer. It's my responsibility to look after the Dark Lord's assets," Ellie responded robotically, as she stopped in front of the door to the children's room.

"Good. They seemed to be in pretty rough shape the last time I saw them."

That made Ellie pause and turn to face her. "You've seen them?" she asked cautiously.

Lina nodded. "I think it was a bit of a test, to see how I'd react. Madame Lestrange asked me to take a tray of food and potions down here. That was the night you arrived actually."

Ellie frowned, as if trying to remember. "Did I see you that night?"

"Yes, but things were rather chaotic. It's all right if you don't remember. How are the children?"

"All but the youngest are doing reasonably well." Ellie suddenly stiffened and looked at Lina warily. "Is this my test?"

Lina offered a rather stiff smile, not wanting to seem to chummy too fast. "No. I'm concerned. Just because I want a pure-blood magical race doesn't mean I approve of torture or turning children into monsters."

"Well I'm not certain the youngest will even survive the next full moon," Ellie said, still on guard. "So if that is what you would consider torture you should be very disapproving."

 _All right. Step two. Let's see if she remembers anything._ Lina let her shoulders sag and her voice drop dispiritedly. "Such a terrible experience, those transformations. It's a shame it doesn't work more like transfiguration."

Ellie shot her a puzzled glance, but then looked away as if something strange had occurred to her. "Yes," she said slowly. "A smooth transformation…" shaking her head she looked back at Lina. "Did you want to come in and see them?"

"No," said Lina quickly. "I think it would be better if they couldn't identify me in any way."

"What does that mean?" asked Ellie confusedly.

Lina glanced around quickly before reaching into the pocket of her robes and pulling out the small wooden fox. "This is a portkey," she said in a hushed voice, holding it out. "Do you know the spell to activate them?"

Ellie nodded dumbly as she took the figurine, her brows creased in confusion and uncertainty. "What are you saying?" she whispered hesitantly. "Where does it go? Why would you help them escape?"

"I told you. I don't approve of torturing children," Lina said crisply. "The portkey will take you to a field near a safe house that specializes in helping werewolves."

"It's a trick," Ellie whispered, shaking her head and and backing towards the door. "A trick to test my loyalty."

 _And here goes step three._ "Ellie, I'm the one who took your memories. And I did it to save other werewolves…including your son. That portkey will take you to Finn."

At that moment, they heard the sound of feet making their way steadily down the hallway. Ellie gave Lina one last desperate look, and then opened the door and ducked into the children's room.

Severus Snape appeared a scant moment later, his black robes swishing. "We have to go," he stated brusquely. Lina gave him a curt nod and the pair started back down the hall. After a few minutes making their stiffly polite farewells, the couple found themselves disapparating away from the stately home.

"I was able to give Ellie the portkey," Lina said in a low voice as they began the long walk up to the school. "But I'm not certain whether she believed me. You came before I had a chance to try the memory charm reversal, and she ducked away into the children's room."

"I have news as well," Severus said, the wind ruffling his dark hair. "I am to bring Bellatrix the sword of Gryffindor. At some point the incident in the Chamber of Secrets was related to the Dark Lord. He was at once outraged and frightened, and trying not to show it. That sword is goblin-wrought, and charmed to only take on attributes that make it stronger. If the basilisk fang had destroyed the diary, his first horcurx, and then the sword had been used to kill the basilisk…"

"The basilisk venom," Lina whispered, as the pieces clicked into place. "The sword took on the attribute from the basilisk that made it stronger. It can be used to destroy horcruxes!…It's too bloody bad we haven't found any yet."

A small, secretive smile crossed his lips, and Lina stopped in her tracks. "Go on then," she said, smiling at his obvious amusement. "What else did you discover?"

"Bellatrix is to place the sword in the Lestrange vault at Gringotts. While they were discussing it, I peered into her mind, and saw her remembering placing something else there…Helga Hufflepuff's cup."

"You found a horcrux," Lina breathed out. "Well done, Sir."

"And now all that remains is to break into Gringotts and steal it," he said dryly. But Lina's mind had already whirled away planning through various strategies.

"You leave that to me, Sir," she said, nodding to herself. "I have a few ideas to think through."

They walked in silence up the long drive, and Severus placed his hand on her arm to halt her steps before they entered the castle. "I need you to teach Defensive spells as if you were teaching the curses," he said. "I believe it is time Mr. Longbottom and Miss Weasley were encouraged to participate in an extracurricular activity."

* * *

The bewildered employee at the Micklegate Post Office, York, handed Gareth an enormous sack of mail, tied with a drawstring. "Will you be expecting this much each week, sir? It's most unusual."

"We run a mail order business and occasionally have contests, you know, the kind where you send in a postcard with your answer. The mail can pile up sometimes," Gareth replied with his most charming smile.

"It it seems like some of your customers don't quite understand how the post works. We can't run all this heavy rolled up paper through the sorters, and they seem to waste an awful lot of stamps."

"We specialize in some items to help the elderly," Gareth said quickly. "Poor things, they can get confused…mind starts to go. You know how it is."

"As you say, sir," the employee shrugged. "See you next week then."

Nodding his thanks, Gareth made his way through the door with the mailbag slung over his back. They were going to have to air another session on how the No-Maj post worked, but overall, this had been an unexpected and surprisingly effective way for people to send them questions, information, requests for assistance.

WDN, the Wizarding Defense Network had been broadcasting eighteen hours a day for the past two weeks. After detailed explanations of how to send a letter or card through the Muggle post, the response had been very encouraging. Notes poured in from witches and wizards thanking them for taking a stand, sharing how their best friend in first year had been a Muggle, they'd grown up in a Muggle neighborhood and couldn't understand what all the fuss was about, asking about news on a cousin or friends, sharing information they'd heard that might be vital to the war effort, or even offering to join the fighting.

With the additional werewolf training, their own practice sessions, the normal day to day activities of maintaining a house and farm, and the multiple times each week groups were sent out on missions, divide and conquer was the order of the day. Each morning at six, between yawns and sips of coffee, Fred Weasley would start up the equipment. Daisy took the first shift with Catherine and Isabel alternating to help. Her voice, amazingly bright and cheerful for so early in the morning, greeted parents and children starting their day with her own version of a kids' show. She banged out nursery rhymes and familiar songs on the piano, in between telling stories and jokes. Finn, as is typical of most preschoolers, was up and raring to go each morning with her, his warbly child's voice joining in on songs, guessing ridiculous answers to the jokes she told and requesting certain stories. She received a fair share of the mail from parents thanking her for helping to keep their little ones entertained over breakfast, and requests for certain tales or songs they remembered from their own childhood.

Remus and Sirius took over at eight with news and defense advice. Remus' calm, steady manner of speaking and Sirius' lightheartedness helped soften the grim nature of their information as they shared the latest names of the missing or known dead, talked through ways to make homes and routines safer, reviewed counter curses and defensive spells that many wouldn't have practiced since school, and simply shared their own belief that Britain had been here before and come through it. Surely she would come through it again.

At ten o'clock Jane and Artemis put on a cooking show, that proved to be more popular and necessary than they had anticipated. There was a pause as the broadcast equipment was schlepped into the kitchen, where the witches had set up whatever they were preparing for the day, that would eventually become lunch or dinner for their household. Initially preparing comforting and simple items like biscuits and soups, the mail they received had them talking about ways to stretch food if you were all of a sudden hosting family or friends that needed to go into hiding, substitutions to use if you were afraid or unable to get to a wizarding market, and even how to shop unobtrusively at Muggle stores.

Hawthorne and Hermione hosted history lectures in the dining room-cum-study from noon until two, which really became the equivalent of listening in on an energetic private conversation between two bookworms as they regularly went off on tangents, spoke in unfinished sentences as the other already knew what was being said, and occasionally lapsed into silence as they became distracted reading a passage of the book in front of them. But even they received the odd letter from ancient wizards in shaky handwriting asking them to clarify a point or flat out disagreeing with their interpretation of events. Ron may have remarked that at least their session gave everyone else the chance to eat lunch and take a nap, but he was the one who volunteered to run the equipment for them, flopped into a chair with his feet propped up at one end of the table, watching Hermione contentedly from half-closed eyes as she passionately dissected details of events where wizard and Muggle history converged.

Hermione and Hawthorne were rousted out of the room at two when Fred, George, Harry and Hezekiah joined Ron in what they titled, "Quidditch Q and A Quagmires." Hezekiah had enchanted a radio to record and replay clips of matches, and basically they argued about maneuvers, teams, players and stats for two hours. These sessions also drew plenty of mail, some of which even came over from the continent. The most notable piece was a brief postcard from the Bulgarian sensation, Viktor Krum, saying he looked forward to one day playing against the famous Harry Potter on the Quidditch pitch. But Harry's most treasured letter appeared to be an anonymous one with very familiar handwriting, asking if the rumors were true that Harry now sported a tattoo of a Hungarian horntail.

Artemis and Hermione were back at four o'clock with Kieran, Xander, and Xavier in tow for "Muggles and You." A title the men grumbled about, claiming it sounded like propaganda at best and a pet brochure at worst. Artemis shrugged and said it was an innocuous and disarming name, and some of the people listening would have never spent any significant amount of time with a No-Maj in their lives. It was their job to convince people that they were normal and nonthreatening. At the raised eyebrows Artemis laughed and said to just try and talk about things they all had in common. This time slot also prompted a slew of mail asking questions about electricity; how much time Muggle activities took; do footballers really just kick the ball back and forth across the grass without trying to attack each other with a different ball; why did none of the photographs move, but if the picture was in a little box it had sound and just went on and on and on. Deciphering the questions was sometimes as much trouble as trying to answer them in terms that wizards would understand, but the men eventually found the whole thing entertaining and just rolled with the ridiculous aspects as best they could.

Remus and Sirius were back on at six with another news brief and then spent time analyzing the reports from both the Daily Prophet and the Quibbler, trying to sift what was truth from the bizarre reports. And finally the American kids set up their instruments for a four hour slot of music until they signed off at midnight. Isabel had chosen an anthem to symbolize their insurrection, and so at each sign off, regardless of that night's genre of music, Joshua began a drum solo, and Isabel, in the gruffest voice she could manage, growled out, "We're not gonna take it, oh no, we ain't gonna take it. We're not gonna take it anymore!" before the rest of them came in heavy on their instruments. And surprisingly, or maybe not, the Twisted Sister song struck a chord with people. Even in the farmhouse, as the song began, the rest of the household would invariably drift into the room, clapping and singing along, reminding themselves that they had drawn a line in the sand. Their lives had all been affected by magic, darkness and prejudice, but each one, and from the mail they received, many of the people listening on the airwaves, were willing to lay down their lives to stop the darkness. To fight in the hope that during their lifetime at least, the dark could be pushed back and kept in check, to allow the next generation to grow up in peace.

* * *

Lina took a deep breath. "Now class, today we will be working on anticipating when your enemies might be trying to use a counter curse on your latest spell. So pair up and one of you cast a Full Body Bind curse, try to lift it, and then switch. While you are in the bind, watch for any tells that might giveaway what your partner is going to do next. Now, what is the incantation for the Full Body Bind?"

Most students sat there silently, unwilling to draw attention to themselves. "Well, Mr. Longbottom, how about you?"

" _Petrificus Totalus_ ," he answered quietly.

"And the counter curse?"

A Ravenclaw tentatively raised her hand. " _Liberacorpus_."

"Yes. Five points to Ravenclaw. The _Liberacorpus_ is a spell which will also work against a _Levicorpus_ or really any spell that takes over control of your body, including the Imperious curse. Now begin practicing. Make sure to watch your opponent closely and see if you can find the best moment to interrupt their intention to cast a counter spell."

There was a scrape of a dozen chair legs as the seventh year students stood and spread out around the room. Neville and Seamus Finnegan faced off against each other. "Did you know the counter curse could do all that?" Seamus whispered to Neville.

"No. I'm surprised she said it. Strange lesson having us locked in a curse and then watching how everyone casts counter curses. It lets us spend more time on the counter spells than the originals."

Seamus grinned. "Well if she's accidentally helping us learn counter curses I'm not bothered."

At that moment he cast the Full Body Bind spell, and Neville fell back against a desk, immobilized. Even though he was supposed to be watching Seamus, his eyes were caught and held by Miss Andersson. "It is a truth universally acknowledged," she said, holding his gaze, "that where peaceful revolution is impossible, violent revolution will be inevitable."

As Seamus released Neville from the curse he collapsed back against the desk heavily. "All right, mate?" Seamus asked. "Did you notice anything when I cast the counter spell?"

Neville looked at him, glanced back towards Miss Andersson, who had moved on to help another pair of students, and then back at Seamus. "What are the odds that Miss Andersson is a double agent?" he asked in a low voice.

"Uh, next to zero. She's as cold as ice. What made you ask that?"

"I think she just told me to restart Dumbledore's Army."

* * *

It was the night before October's full moon, and Ellie was pouring health potions into the children, trying to boost their systems before they would have to transform tomorrow. Once they had eaten and were settled and asleep for the night, she knelt down beside the youngest, whom the others had taken to calling Colleen. Running her hand over the small carved piece in her pocket, Ellie tried once more to think through all her options. The portkey was either a deception or it wasn't. If it was, the children would wind up right back in their cell and she would most likely be killed, never to know what happened to her son. If it wasn't, they were just one spell away from freedom. She could always do nothing, and let things play out they way they had been. But that meant certain death for the smallest girl currently asleep on the floor, her breathing shallow and raspy. Ellie could heal many things, but there was an aspect of werewolf injuries that resisted magic, and her rib cage that had cracked during her first transformation would simply have to heal slowly on its own. Another full moon meant the ribs would likely shatter and puncture a lung this time.

Ellie exhaled slowly, tears pricking her eyes. Was it worth risking death to try and save this one? She had to say yes. She had to because she would have wanted someone to try and save her Finn if he had been in this situation. Resolved in her mind, she quickly and quietly woke up all the children. They blinked at her sleepily as she huddled them all together on one of the two mattresses. "Now, I need all of you to be very careful to touch this figure, all right?" she said in soft voice. She held Colleen in her lap and held out the fox on the palm of her hand.

"Is it a portkey?" asked Balthazar curiously.

"Yes," answered Ellie. "We're going to try and escape."

The children watched her with wide eyes as she pulled out her wand and touched it lightly to the fox, softly incanting the spell. "Quickly children, keep hold of it!"

She could feel the spell beginning as part of her subconscious recognized the heavy wooden door sliding open. A shout and the blast of another spell hurled her across the room, one arm wrapped around Colleen as her hand reflexively clenched the portkey. The magic tugged her away and they landed with a hard thump in a field of grass, Ellie curling around the small girl's body as they hit.

Colleen began crying as Ellie sat up and pulled her once more into her lap, shushing her as she looked around. The other children hadn't made it. Whoever entered the room and cast that spell had separated them from the portkey. Ellie muttered a string of Irish curses as tears filled her eyes. If only she had tried the stupid portkey earlier instead of dithering about it.

It was too late to try and figure out where they were, thought Ellie as she looked around at the gathering darkness. Struggling to her feet and carrying the little girl to some nearby trees, Ellie cast a cushioning charm on a tree trunk and a warming charm around them against the chill night air. Leaning back and cuddling the girl to her chest, Ellie stared off at the night until she drifted into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Thanks so much for reading, following and favoriting! Guest, That is certainly one reason I changed what it means to be a werewolf, so they didn't have to experience that horrific pain and struggle each month. It would really take everything out of you. :) I like Joshua very much too. Since Daisy is really the only one that gets to see his softer side, he's fun to write from other people's perspectives. I agree with you about Remus' reaction to Artemis being so upset. Married with child or not, they're still very new to navigating how to be in a relationship. My husband, while very much an extrovert, is almost always right about things and can occasionally sound condescending without meaning too. it can be very frustrating to argue with him. :) I think Remus would be a little like this as well. Love your thoughts, as always!


	74. Chapter 74

Chapter 74 ~ November, 1997

Two almost identical werewolves, covered in thick blonde fur, meandered along the edge of the tree line just before dawn, their breath creating puffs of steam in the crisp air that rose and mingled with the low laying fog. The wide open field was only used as an emergency apparation or portkey landing area while people were out on missions, and so not on their regular security rounds. Since giving Lina his portkey, Sirius had taken it upon himself to check the field twice a day in the hopes that Ellie would appear. Now that the rest of the household knew of the plan, they created a rotation to check each morning and evening

Catherine and Isabel were on rotation this morning, before having to be back at the house at six for their respective duties with Daisy's broadcast and breakfast prep. The damp air made it a little harder to scent things, but they were enjoying the opportunity to employ their canine faculties, and were still a quarter mild out from the field when they caught the scents.

Isabel pulled up sharply and looked at Catherine, who nodded her assent. The two transformed back and stared at each other. "It's Ellie," Isabel whispered.

Catherine nodded, bushing some wisps of hair back from her face. "I'll stay here and talk with them. You go get Kieran."

"But she can't remember him."

"He won't care. He'll want to see for himself that she's okay."

Isabel hesitated. "Cat, there's only one other scent."

"Yeah, that's all I got too," her sister replied. "But at least she got here with one. Go on, Izzy."

Isabel disapparated with a pop and Catherine transformed back, racing along that last quarter mile until she spotted them. She didn't think it best to approach them as a wolf in case Ellie was still missing her memories, so changing once more, Catherine began walking, purposely making noise to not startle them.

Ellie heard the rustle and crunch of someone approaching over the dry leaves, and shifted the sleeping girl off her lap, pulling out her wand. A young woman with long blonde hair was coming towards them, hands lifted up in surrender.

"I don't have a wand," the woman called softly. "I think Lina told you someone would come help you?"

"You can help werewolves?" Ellie asked, not lowering her wand.

The woman smiled. "Yes. I'm a werewolf too. My name is Catherine."

"Do you…do you know what happened to my son," Ellie whispered.

"Finn's with us," said the woman, nodding. "We have a farm, about a mile away. Can I ask…we'd heard there were six children?"

Ellie began to tremble and finally let her wand drop. "We were separated," she said, "just as the spell started, someone blasted us apart."

She was interrupted by the pop of an apparation, and she swung toward the sound, raising her wand again and moving defensively in front of the sleeping child.

It was another blond, younger maybe; a tall man, with long hair pulled back into a ponytail; and miraculously, looking more like a little boy and less like the toddler she remembered, was her own Finn.

"Mummy!" he shrieked, running towards her and flinging himself at her legs. Ellie collapsed on the ground, pulling Finn into her arms and sobbing as she kissed him, running her hands over his head and face, her tears dampening his hair.

"Oh my love," she whispered, embracing him tightly. "I've missed you so much."

Still quite sleepy, and in his pajamas, Finn reached out a chubby hand to pat her cheek and then curled up happily in her lap.

At that moment Colleen woke and began to cry. Ellie watched in some surprise and apprehension as the tall man immediately went to her and scooped the small girl into his arms. Ellie couldn't make out his soft murmurs, but the man's presence suddenly seemed tangible, as if it filled the entire meadow, radiating authority and peace.

She noticed the two blondes watching her carefully, before glancing at each other with the faintest expression of disappointment. The one called Catherine, stepped forward. "That's Kieran," she explained in a low voice. "He's our Alpha, and one of the kindest, most dependable men you could ever meet. Come on, Finn, let your mama stand up. I'll be she's ready for a cup of tea about now."

Finn scrambled to his feet, and took Ellie's hand. "I ha' cho'kit milk?" he asked hopefully.

Ellie looked momentarily confused, then defeated. "I don't know…I don't guess I know you at all," she said, almost to herself. "I only know who you used to be…"

"But he knows you. For Finn you've only been gone three months," said Catherine quickly.

"And surely we can figure out how to get your memories back," added the other blonde.

"This is my sister, Isabel," said Catherine, gesturing to the girl beside her.

"You're Americans," said Ellie. "I was trying to get to America…did I? Do I know you?"

The young women glanced at each other again.

"That's a pretty long story, and I think you and this little one need some breakfast and maybe some more sleep before we get into all that," interrupted a deep voice.

"Who 'at, Daddy?" asked Finn, looking up at the child in Kieran's arms.

Ellie sucked in a breath, and stared at the man. He met her gaze calmly, but she couldn't quite read the emotions reflected there.

"I can't take all of you at once," said Isabel. "I'll take Cat back first, and then bring Jane to take two of you."

Kieran nodded, and a moment later and he and Ellie were alone with the two children. Ellie lifted Finn into her arms, holding him tightly, amazed at how much bigger he was, the weight of him feeling so different to what she remembered. She inhaled the scent of his tousled hair. Was the smell of him familiar? She couldn't decide.

"You can't apparate?" Ellie finally asked, wanting to break the silence with the man, but not wanting to deal with the bigger issues.

Kieran chuckled, the smile that creased his face rendering him far less intimidating. "I'm a No-Maj. The werewolf thing and the whole magical world all came as quite a shock."

"And we've probably had this conversation before," Ellie muttered, feeling an unreasonable embarrassment.

"Sometimes getting to start over can be a good thing," Kieran said with a shrug, trying not to jostle the little girl that was almost asleep again.

His voice was nonchalant, but Ellie caught the hint of sadness that crossed his face. "We call her Colleen," she finally said, changing the subject. "I'm surprised she's so calm with you."

Kieran smiled. "It's an Alpha thing. The werewolf part of her recognizes she's safe."

"She's only been through one full moon," said Ellie, frowning as she remembered the girl's fragile state. "I'm hoping by being in a safe place I can get her strong enough to make it through the next one. She wouldn't have survived another month in that cell."

"Well, she won't have to worry about that anymore," he said softly. The girl was as light and fragile as a little bird, long eyelashes resting against cheeks that were too drawn and pale for such a young thing. "We'll have you fixed right up this morning, little one."

"Do you have a Healer?" asked Ellie in surprise. "Werewolf injuries are so difficult."

Kieran looked at her so affectionately that Ellie felt suddenly shy. "I know I'm supposed to know all this already…" she began.

He was already shaking his head. "Don't worry about that. I'm just so thankful and relieved that you're all right…we all are, I mean. You and Finn have been with us for almost two years. You're part of our family."

Ellie was saved from having to respond by the crack and sudden appearance of the blonde, called Isabel and another woman, wearing a bright yellow scarf that looked like it was holding down a cloud of black curls.

The woman came right up and gave Ellie a fierce hug. "We are so glad you're home," she said without preamble. "I'm Jane. I'm sure you'll remember everything soon enough, sweetie. How about coming back to the house for some breakfast? I'm glad I changed the bedding and dusted our room yesterday, it's all ready for you. We're roommates, you me and Finn. But I can certainly find some place else to sleep while you get settled in. Are you ready to go?"

Blinking a little at the woman's accent and flood of speech, Ellie could only nod, and shifted her hold on Finn as the woman threw an arm around her shoulder and disapparated them.

Left alone at the edge of the field, Isabel looked at Kieran, absently rocking the sleeping girl as he continued to stare at the spot where Ellie had stood.

"You okay?" she asked.

Kieran nodded. "I guess I have to be. She's safe, she's home. Hopefully someday she'll remember, but things will probably overwhelming for a little while."

"Things have probably been overwhelming for her since she left," said Isabel dryly. "She's as pale as a ghost, and way too thin."

"Well, Jane's cooking will soon take care of that. Now let's get this one back, so Daisy can heal her up. She's been though enough for such a tiny thing."

In short order, Daisy had prayed over Colleen, and watched in delight as the little girl grew wide eyed and giggled at the spectral warrior that nudged her gently. She was now seated at the kitchen table with a towel tied around her neck and shoveling dripping spoonfuls of porridge into her mouth as fast as she could, laughing and talking nonsensically to Finn, who was sat next to her. Ellie watched them both wonderingly, a deep gratitude settling on her at the incredible idea that this disease wouldn't define the rest of their lives. Daisy and Catherine left to start up the morning radio program, and as soon as the children finished their small meal and Ellie had had a cup of tea, Jane bundled all three of them into hot baths and bed, and told them to try and rest until lunchtime. Drifting off to sleep, Ellie was reminded of the strange vision she'd had of werewolves playing before seamlessly transforming into laughing people. _I guess that was part of a memory,_ she thought, yawning. _Who could have imagined it?_

* * *

The rest of the household received news of Ellie's arrival at breakfast, and the conversation was partially relieved at her homecoming and partially worried about the children still left behind. Hermione, though, was unable to focus on any of it. She'd been up early going once more over the book that Dumbledore had left her in his will, and for the first time something had occurred to her. She wanted to speak with Professor Lupin about it, but he and Sirius were already in the thick of their own broadcast time, so she would have to wait until the cooking show started at ten. Finishing up her breakfast quickly, Hermione ducked back out of the kitchen and went to her room to make some notes until she could speak with him.

It wasn't until after her own broadcast, listening to Hawthorne debate with himself the idea that some of the most well known points of the legend of King Arthur dated from French stories brought over the channel following the Norman conquest, rather than from the 8th century Welsh stories. As the boys tumbled into the room for their Quidditch show, Harry told her that Remus was in the kitchen watching Ana while Artemis baked some chocolate muffins.

Hermione pushed open the kitchen door. Artemis was at the counter, mixing a bowl full of batter while Sirius lounged in a chair with a cup of tea. She didn't see Remus at first and then was surprised to find him sitting cross-legged on the floor, carefully draping a handkerchief over his daughter's face and saying, "Where's Ana?" before pulling it away and answering, "Peek-a-boo, there she is!" to the happy full-bellied giggles of the baby.

Hermione could only stare for a moment, before giving an embarrassed half-cough.

He glanced up at the sound. "Oh, hello there Hermione. Are you wanting to work in here?"

"Actually I had a question for you, Prof— Remus," Hermione corrected herself. "I've been reading through this book that Professor Dumbledore gave me and I've noticed something. There's a symbol of some kind inked onto one of the pages. It's not anything I recognize, and I didn't find anything close to it in Ancient Runes. Do you happen to know what it is?"

Remus took the small, old copy of _Tales of Beedle the Bard,_ leaving Ana to chew on the forgotten handkerchief. He smiled as he flipped open the cover and ran his eyes over the table of contents. "My dad used to read this to me," he said. "Mum was appalled at the stories. They seemed so strange to her after she'd grown up with Cinderella and Peter Pan. She insisted on alternating wizard and Muggle stories at bedtime."

He turned to the page she had marked and frowned at the the small image in the corner, a circle inside a triangle, bisected by a vertical line.

"Harry said he saw Xenophilous Lovegood wearing a necklace with this symbol at Bill's wedding," explained Hermione, "and that Viktor, Viktor Krum, had been very upset by it. He called it Grindelwald's symbol. But I've haven't been able to find anything about Grindelwald having a particular symbol."

Remus tapped the page thoughtfully. "It's something to do with this story…the one about the brothers. But I can't remember exactly how it's related. Show Sirius. Maybe he knows if it's an old pure-blood thing."

Hermione nodded, as Artemis came and peered at the book over his shoulder, her hair was thrown up in a messy pile on top of her head with her wand skewered through it, and she kept blowing away the strands that insisted on falling in her eyes. "The Deathly Hallows," she said softly, her forehead crinkled in a frown. "It's a symbol for the items in the story."

"That's right. I'd forgotten what they were called," said Remus.

"Is that the one about the three brothers? You know James said he was related to the Peverells," added Sirius. "Always teased that his invisibility cloak was _the_ cloak."

"That's what started me wondering," admitted Hermione. "What if Harry's cloak was the cloak from the story? And if it was real, are the others real too? And if they can make one master of death…"

"Was Dumbledore trying to tell you to find the others?" asked Remus softly, watching the girl.

Hermione nodded hesitantly, a miserable look on her face. "Because if Dumbledore wanted Harry to have these, then he must have thought Harry was going to…going to be even more in danger than he's already been," she finally said.

Sirius snorted. "Yes, so let's put a mysterious symbol on a book and leave the kids to sort it out for themselves," he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest irritably.

"The Deathly Hallows are more like a conspiracy theory," said Artemis, "The people that buy into it think finding all the items will give wizards the ability to conquer death."

"But you don't think so," said Remus.

"My grandfather," Artemis answered slowly, "fought with Albus Dumbledore against Grindelwald. I think they argued about them…the Deathly Hallows. My grandfather said power like that would only ever attract darkness."

The kitchen door opened, and Harry stuck his head in, catching Hermione's eye. "You found something…didn't you?" he asked. "That's why you were looking for Remus?"

"She possibly found something," Remus clarified. He stood from his spot on the floor and scooped up Ana, securing her to her high chair and handing her a teething biscuit. "We aren't at all sure what it means."

After hearing their questions, ideas, and concerns, Harry blew out a long breath and ran a hand through his hair, leaving it sticking up even more than normal. "It means that we need to try and find the Deathly Hallows," he said.

"On top of already searching for horcruxes?" asked Sirius, incredulously. "You don't think that's a bit much?"

"Harry, we don't even know if they're real," Hermione began. "The resurrection stone for example, how would that even work? Bringing someone back from the dead is one of the five exemptions of elemental transfiguration."

"Riddle thinks they're real. He's looking for the wand," said Harry with a firm nod of his head.

"How do you know that?" asked Sirius, frowning in concern.

"I had a dream. Riddle went to Ollivander and then a wand maker called Gregorovitch. But the wand had been stolen from Gregorovitch by someone else. And I think we should follow up on anything that might help," he continued stubbornly.

"Harry," said Artemis shaking her head, "you don't know what Dumbledore actually intended by leaving Hermione that book. If they're real, these artifacts are…are dark."

"But we've already got one. My dad said his cloak was the cloak from the story."

"They were gifts from death!" Artemis cried, throwing her hands in the air. "Have you actually read the story? The only one that's remotely useful is the cloak, and even it only delayed death for a time. The resurrection stone doesn't actually resurrect anyone. It pulls back a person's spirit from the beyond and holds it in this reality, where they aren't meant to be. That brother killed himself in despair. And the only time the Elder Wand didn't result in someone's death was because Dumbledore couldn't bring himself to kill Grindelwald!"

This last outburst was met with a stunned silence. "Are you saying Albus Dumbledore won the Elder Wand off of Gellert Grindelwald?" Remus finally asked in a quiet, disbelieving voice.

"I don't…know that for certain," she answered. "My brother was…a little obsessed with the Deathly Hallows. I know he tried to get more details about everything that happened with Grindelwald from my grandfather, but my grandfather didn't like to talk about it. Apollo and Xenophilous Lovegood exchanged letters. It was a…a hobby. I wasn't even convinced they were real."

"But if Dumbledore did have it, then it's been buried with him," said Sirius. "Are we planning on turning to grave robbing now?"

"The wand was buried with Dumbledore, but it was Severus who killed him," said Remus slowly. "So wouldn't the wand belong to him now?"

Sirius groaned loudly. "Snivellus? I can not believe that git wound up with the most powerful wand in the world."

Harry was shaking his head. "You win a duel by disarming someone, right? Artemis just said that Dumbledore didn't kill Grindelwald, so he must have disarmed him and taken the wand. That means whoever disarmed Dumbledore won the wand, and that wasn't Snape."

"Reasonable assumption," said Remus. "So who disarmed him?"

"Someone he didn't want to fight," sighed Harry. "Draco Malfoy."

There was a soft thud as Sirius let his head fall to the table top, his dark hair pooling around. "Even better," he said, his voice muffled. "I swear, that man gives me such a headache. Why all the secrecy? Why all the cryptic clues? If Dumbledore really thought Harry needed the Elder Wand, he could have let Harry disarm him and be done with it."

"Harry doesn't need the Elder Wand," said Artemis firmly. "We need to focus on finding the horcruxes, because it doesn't matter what wand you have if we can't kill You-Know-Who for good!"

"Fine," answered Harry a trifle sharply. "Any suggestions on where those might be?"

Hermione slammed the little book closed. "Come on, Harry. Ron will be finished soon, and some of them wanted to play Quidditch this afternoon. We know more now then we did before. That's got to count for something."

The two of them left and Remus looked over at Artemis. "Do you really think it's a mistake to try and get the Elder Wand? It would be a powerful weapon."

"Maybe it's just superstition," she said tiredly, "but I feel like nothing good will come out of hunting down the Deathly Hallows."

* * *

The wooden swing had been hung from a thick tree branch, and made a soft shushing noise as the ropes shifted back and forth with each push. Its wide bench was easily big enough to hold two people, and Daisy leaned her head on Joshua's shoulder as they swayed back and forth. The night air was growing cold, but the warming charm on the swing made them impervious to the falling temperatures.

"You've been pretty quiet lately," Joshua asked softly. "Are you seeing or hearing anything you want to talk about?"

Daisy shifted and nestled in closer to his side, sighing as his arm went around her. "I'm seeing lots of things," she finally said. "None of which are easy to talk about, because I don't always know what's real and what's just a possibility. But things are…are going to get worse before they get better. I don't really want to think about it."

"Are some of us going to die?"

She loved and hated how he asked so matter-of-factly. He was so strong and steadfast, never wavering once he'd determined what had to be done. Daisy laid her head against his chest, feeling the thump of his heartbeat as he stroked her long hair. "I don't want to think about that," she sniffed, trying to hold back the tears.

"Daisy, if it's me—"

"Please don't. Joshua, I don't want to think about it!"

"If it's me," he continued softly. "I just want you to know that I will fight with every fiber of my being to stay with you. But I would also give up my life for yours without hesitating."

She looked up at him to argue, and he kissed her, her lips salty from the tears that wet her face.

"We don't have to talk about it anymore," he said gently, and they fell into silence, the whisper of the swing and sounds of the night filling the air around them.

* * *

** Thanks for reading along! I'm going to try a slightly different work schedule, so chapters may not be out exactly on Wednesdays, but I will certainly get them out as fast as I can! We are nearing the end, if you can believe that!

** Guest, I'm sorry if the beginning of the last chapter wasn't clear. I'll have to see if I can fix that. I agree with you about Bellatrix needing to have dropped the shield on her mind for Snape to have seen the horcrux. My idea was exactly that, because she was in the middle of a conversation with Voldemort about hiding the sword, she wasn't being as careful. The only reason they were allowing Ellie to give the kids the health potions was because they want to use them, and need them to be strong. Most traditional werewolf stories have silver bullets being the only thing that will kill them, so I thought, what about silver being able to control them? And in HP, the goblin-wrought stuff is supposed to be even better. So we'll see what happens...Voldemort absolutely feels like they are his property, and Greyback does as well, he's just going to submit to Voldemort. I totally agree with you on it being hard to keep track of more characters! I think I'm at well over twenty main and peripheral OCs. It's a little ridiculous, and certainly not something I'll try again any time soon! :)


	75. Chapter 75

Chapter 75 ~ November 1997

 _One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. One, two three, four, five, six, seven, eight._ Back and forth across the floor. Eight steps from the desk to the wall and eight steps back again. Stopping at the desk, Lina scratched through a line of text on parchment, added a notation to another line and took up her pacing again.

It maybe wasn't the most difficult job she'd ever planned, but it certainly was near the top. The easiest option would be to ask Severus for some Polyjuice potion and simply enter the vault as Bellatrix, but there were certain to be defensive measures in place for any type of concealment spells. Getting in was easy, her own vault and Dark Mark were enough to get her down into the caverns. But finding the Lestrange vault was a whole other matter, let alone being allowed in. If only it weren't goblins. They were such distrustful, prejudiced creatures. It would be impossible to bribe them or recruit any to help, even if they weren't supportive of Voldemort.

A flash of inspiration came to her, and Lina wondered if the pacing wasn't such a bad habit after all. What she needed was someone who was supposed to be inside the vaults at Gringotts, someone who could gain entry to the Lestrange vault without being questioned. And a certain red-headed curse breaker could be just the ticket, if he hadn't gone into hiding yet.

Moments later her shoes clicked a staccato rhythm down the halls toward the Headmaster's Office. "Strawberry Trifle," she said impatiently to the gargoyle. Hurrying up the steps, she knocked firmly at the heavy wooden door. It swung open and Lina swept inside imperiously. Severus looked up from a worktable, where the Sword of Gryffindor lay in its shining glory. Beside it was an unimpressive broadsword of roughly the same size.

Glancing at the portraits watching her, some curious, some judgmental, Lina ran a hand up Severus' arm. "Ready for a break?" she asked breathily as she turned and went through the door into his bedroom. Snape uttered a very unnatural throaty chuckle and turned to follow her, catching the stiff expression on Dumbledore's portrait out of the corner of his eye.

"To what do I owe this interruption?" he asked, after closing and the door and sinking into a plush armchair.

"Do you think Dumbledore's portrait thinks we've carried this charade a bit too far? He seemed a little put out."

Severus raised his eyebrows. "Doubtful. This charade was his idea after all. He has been concerned that we do not share all of our plans with him."

"Portraits," muttered Lina. "Always watching you and gossiping. And you never know where another portrait of them might be to run off and tell someone else."

"Surely you didn't waltz in here to discuss the castle's artwork," he said impatiently, waving his hand for her to get on with things.

"I have a plan to get the cup from Bellatrix's vault…well most of a plan." Lina perched on the edge of a matching chair, almost buzzing with the anticipation of sharing her brainstorm.

"Do tell," Severus said, settling back in his chair.

* * *

The kettle whistled shrilly, and Ellie took it from the stovetop, pouring the boiling water over the tea leaves. She frowned at nothing in particular as she put the lid on the pot and pulled the tea cozy on over it. Adding a few ginger biscuits to a plate she placed both plate and pot on a tray, grabbed a cup and saucer, and the small cream pitcher. There wasn't really a reason to hurry, but she found herself hurrying anyway, hoping to take the tray up to her room before she could bump into anyone…especially him.

There was no good reason to feel so uncomfortable around Kieran, but she couldn't help it. The young woman named Catherine had tried to explain that Finn's familial name for the tall, dark Alpha had less to do with Ellie's relationship to Kieran and all to do with Finn's, but it hadn't helped. Every time they were in the same room she felt an unspoken expectation, that he was waiting for her to say or do something that she didn't understand. Well, she probably did understand. She'd caught him once looking at her, and Ellie wasn't so oblivious as to not recognize the tenderness in his expression. He'd been very careful after that, whether to avoid looking at her, or just avoid being caught she wasn't sure. And the way the others tiptoed around her or put on a false cheerfulness was almost as bad, like she was a terminal patient at St. Mungo's.

Ellie picked up the tray and shouldered her way through the kitchen door. As she made her way up the stairs she heard the back door open and slam closed. Voices reached her, those deep, drawling American accents that she was supposed to be familiar with.

"Why don't we head over to the pub? You've been moping around in that barn all day."

That was one of the brothers, the chatty one with the shaved head.

"I'm not moping."

Oh. Him. Ellie tried to take quieter steps, holding the tray as still as possible to not rattle the china and give her away.

"Well, come anyway. We'll grab some of the other guys and I can glare menacingly at George across the table."

She heard Kieran snort. "Xander, I think you can lay off now. He's a good kid."

"Eh, I'm just keeping him on his toes. Ever since we left the reservation this pack's been like some episode of The Love Boat."

"Oh good grief, it's not that bad. Fine. Let's get a beer. Go see who else wants to come."

In spite of her desire to get away before the two of them came any further down the hall, she felt a moment of amazement at the pack relationships. The few times she had seen Fenrir Greyback interact with his followers it was all vicious intimidation and bowing and scraping. Kieran treated his pack like younger brothers and sisters, affectionate, but willing to use his authority when necessary.

Getting a hold of herself, Ellie softly made her way up the rest of the staircase and to the safety of her room. She set the tray down on the nightstand and sank with a sigh onto the bed, equal parts grateful to Lina for helping her get away and find her son, and furious that her memories had been taken. She understood why it had been done, but it felt horribly unfair. She had already gone through so much thinking she might lose Finn to Greyback, gathering up the courage to leave Claudius, finding herself back in his grasp and his bed, and having no idea what had happened to her son. Thinking back on the last three months with her husband made her skin crawl. How had she been so deceived as to his true nature? She frequently woke with nightmares, reliving the Cruciatus Curse or imagining the moment Fenrir Greyback sank his teeth into her son.

Holding the steaming cup in her hands, Ellie inhaled its comforting aroma. Memory is a funny thing. Despite having more expensive and presumably higher quality tea available at Claudius' or the Malfoy's home, this tea made her feel safe. What had happened for her to associate this completely ordinary brand of tea with safety? For that matter, why didn't she feel worried that Sirius Black and the Black family's skulking house elf were for some reason helping Harry Potter? Why did she keep wanting to share tidbits of healing knowledge with Catherine, who wasn't even a witch? Why had she heard the faint strands of music when she'd caught Kieran watching her? Taking a slow sip of the hot tea, she decided to just stop thinking about it all. Finn was safe, Colleen was safe, and she was on the right side of this war now.

* * *

It was all Hermione could do not to grind her teeth in frustration. Only the thought of trying to explain the damage to her dentist parents one day when this was all over stopped her. Harry was being perfectly pigheaded about this Deathly Hallows business. Hermione recognized that her tendency would probably always be to initially respect and obey people in authority unless she felt very strongly about something. Harry was almost the opposite. His tendency seemed to assume the people in authority were out to stop him or obstruct him somehow, no matter their intention. She supposed it was natural given the Dursleys, but he was sometimes apt to be a tad reactionary.

"I really don't see what the problem is, Hermione. Sirius was worried about hunting for horcruxes and the Deathly Hallows being too much. So we split up and look for the artifacts while the rest of them continue looking for the horcruxes."

Hermione yanked her hair out of it's band and busied herself quickly braiding it and securing it in the hairband once again while she tried to control her temper. "Harry, that wasn't the only issue and you know it. After all they've done for you, you can't just disappear and expect them to be all right with it!"

"But we were planning on going out on our own anyway, remember? Back over the summer, before I was basically kidnapped and forced to come here."

Ron made a skeptical face. "Listen, mate, they were trying to protect us. Every one of them's given as much in this fight as we have. Seems a bit dodgy to run now. Unless…unless you don't really think you can beat You-Know-Who without the wand."

This thought seemed more disturbing to Ron than anything else he'd heard so far. He looked over at Hermione, who all of a sudden was struggling to hold back tears. "It's a mistake, Harry," she whispered. "Didn't you hear, Artemis? They're gifts from death, and what could death possibly want besides more deaths?!"

Harry just looked at her. "I know, Hermione," he finally said in a gentle voice. "Remember the prophecy? I'm okay with him needing my death, as long as I make sure he gets Riddle as well. And I really think the Elder wand will help."

Ron pulled a crumpled handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to Hermione, who wiped her tears. "So what's the plan?" he asked Harry.

But Harry was looking at him oddly. "Since when do you carry a handkerchief?"

Ron blushed and muttered something about it never hurt to be prepared as Hermione sniffed back the last of her tears and gave a watery smile. "Since Hawthorne started his series on the chivalric code," she amended.

Harry grinned, and Ron shoved him. "Focus. If you need to find the wand and disarm Malfoy, we're going to need to break into Hogwarts."

* * *

Even in sleep, Daisy felt the shift in the atmosphere, and woke with a start. It was instantly obvious that Hermione wasn't there. The silvery, shining knight that accompanied her no longer lit a corner of the girls' shared room. Slipping out of bed and quickly dressing, Daisy made her way downstairs to the dining room and took a seat at the end of the table. It would have looked decidedly odd to anyone else that happened upon the room, seeing her sitting there by herself, but gathered around the long table like a shimmering, ghostly board meeting were five knights and sixteen wolves.

"Okay," she began briskly. "Harry, Ron, and Hermione have gone to try and get…what's it called again?"

 _The Elder Wand, a tool of the enemy to seduce wizards with power._

"Right. And you said it's at their school, so with Lina and Professor Snape both there it should be…well, not safe, but not as bad as it could be."

 _The wand still rests with him who last wielded it. But its allegiance belongs to another, one whose loyalty treads the knife's edge._

"And the werewolves?"

 _This full moon is but a test. At the next, the time of iniquity will be complete, and you will see the recompense of the wicked._

Daisy's shoulders slumped. "I know there's…there's no scenario where we come out unscathed. But it's going to be a blood bath."

 _Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends._

Sniffing back tears and clearing her throat, Daisy tried to focus on the big picture. "Okay, so if Harry and the others can keep from getting caught, the search for the Elder Wand and the attack on the other pack will distract Tom Riddle from the horcruxes…at least until December. That should give Lina enough time to retrieve the cup. Now is Harry really going to have to die to remove the piece of Tom Riddle's soul?"

 _What seems obvious is sometimes not. The result of the spell is death, but the purpose is not death. Destruction is spoken over the bond between the spirit of life and the temple of the Creator, and the bond is torn asunder._

Daisy frowned as she tried to think through the enigmatic words. "So the spell destroys a bond between the spirit and the temple…what's the temple?"

 _You are both spirit and temple, a temple that should be dedicated to the service of its Creator._

Propping her head up in her hands, Daisy scowled down at the tabletop. "I have a spirit and a temple…body! I have a spirit and a body!" she said excitedly, looking around at the warriors. "So the spell separates the spirit from the body and results in death. Are you talking about the killing curse?"

The door was shoved open and Fred Weasley, yawning hugely, came in carrying two large mugs of coffee. "Morning, love. I made a cup for you. Are you ready to get started?"

Daisy nodded. "In a minute, Fred. First we need to wake Remus and Sirius and let him know that Harry and Hermione and your brother have run away."

Thankfully it only took a second with magic to clean up the coffee and broken mugs that had crashed to the floor as Fred stared at her, dumbfounded.

* * *

"Padfoot…Padfoot!…Sirius, wake up!" The sharp voice and shaking finally got through and Sirius sat up with a jerk.

He pushed his hair out of his face and stared blearily up at Remus. "What's wrong?" he asked, fumbling for his wand. "What's going on?"

"Harry's gone. Ron and Hermione too."

"Merlin, he's gone after that bloody wand!" Sirius growled, throwing back the covers and stumbling from his bed toward the wardrobe. "I'll send a Patronus if I need backup," he added, pulling a jumper over his head.

"I'll come with you," said Remus, his posture tense and worried.

"No, it's easier if I go on my own. If he thinks Draco controls the wand he'll be heading for Hogwarts. I've lived as a dog in the Forbidden Forest before. I'm sure I can get word to Lina to keep at eye out for him…and Snape," he added, shaking his head. "Never thought I'd be living out that whole idea of the enemy of my enemy is my friend bit. Prongs' would be having a right laugh."

* * *

Severus Snape stared at the remnants of the shattered glass case that littered his office floor. Apparently Lina's hints to stir up a spirit of rebellion in the older students was working a little too well. Mr. Longbottom, Miss Weasley, and Miss Lovegood had determined an appropriate course of action was to try and steal the Sword of Gryffindor from it's case. Never mind that they had been caught and were now serving what barely amounted to detention with Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest, they had now forced him to hurry his plans to create a replica that would be secured in the Lestrange vault. Waving away the glass with a flick of his wand, Severus set the authentic sword onto the work table beside what was still the roughest of duplicates and got to work.

Lina, meanwhile was scribbling quickly across a sheet of parchment, her notes neat and precise. Cheerful folk music played on the radio that sat on her desk, and every once in a while Isabel or Gareth's voice would announce the next song or explain something about the music or instruments. The radio broadcast had been a very clever idea. She was pleased she'd gotten wind of it from some of the older students. Making one final remark on the paper, she folded and placed it in an envelope, addressing the note to one Miss Lionne, care of WDN at Box 0817 at the Mickelgate Post Office, York. If they pulled this off, it would probably go down as the greatest heist of her career.

* * *

Just a short little bonus chapter...We progress my friends, we progress...


	76. Chapter 76

Chapter 76 ~ November, 1997

The room was silent except for the rustle of parchment as Bill Weasley turned the page over to continue reading Lina's instructions. "This seems…fairly straightforward," he said, glancing to Fleur, sitting beside him.

Fleur's hands were clenched tightly around her wand, beautiful face set in a stern expression. "It eez dangerous, yes?

"It could be," said Remus, nodding, "but the risk is more minimal for the two of you than for anyone else. You're both employed by the bank. You can put through the paperwork and give Bill access to the items in the vaults. It just becomes a question of dealing with whichever goblin is assigned to go with you."

"And we're absolutely certain that Lina is trustworthy?" asked Fleur sharply. "She is…how did you say it? Undercover?"

Artemis nodded. "Yes. And more than that, she really good at her job. I've worked on several ops with her, and she's meticulous in planning the details. If she thinks this will work, then it will work."

"Gareth and Joshua will be there as back up," added Remus. "They'll be opening a new vault to relocate some of their family treasures and liquid assets. So they'll be onsite if for some reason things get botched."

Bill exhaled slowly. "I mean…I guess I can't really see what the point of luring me into a vault would be. I'm at the bank every day. If they wanted to arrest me they could. I think…I think it's worth a try."

He looked to Fleur as he said this, and his young bride met his eyes. "I agree. We joined the Order to do whatever eet takes to defeat him, did we not?"

* * *

It came through the Muggle Post three days later, a small parcel wrapped in brown paper. "Bit dangerous sending a cursed object through the post," Remus remarked. "Things have been known to get lost. What if some unsuspecting Muggle had happened upon it?"

As they unwrapped the paper, a sheet of instructions fell out. Sirius read through them quickly and then passed the sheet to Remus, a twinkle in his eye. "We have to curse it. Here are the instructions."

Remus nodded. "I'll get to work on that. You get a hold of Bill and Fleur and tell them things are set to proceed as scheduled.

* * *

The small package in brown wrapping nestled between a stack of letters Bill Weasley carried into the mailroom. Dumping the pile of letters from his department into the outgoing basket, he discreetly dropped the parcel into the incoming basket as he moved past.

In her very precise handwriting, Fleur completed the forged requisition form for a curse breaker to be sent into the Lestrange vault to deal with a small purchase that had just been delivered. Folding the memorandum, she sent it flying away with a flick of her wand.

* * *

Gareth snapped the large leather satchel closed and glanced at his watch impatiently. "Joshua, hurry up!" he called up the stairs. He grabbed a long black cloak from one of the hooks by the door and threw it round his shoulders. Joshua ran down the stairs a moment later, skipping the last couple steps, and landing with a thud.

"Are you twelve?" Gareth laughed, handing him a cloak.

"I feel like I'm about ninety-five in this get up," Joshua remarked, looking distastefully at his old fashioned three-piece suit and the long cloak.

"I think you look very handsome," said Daisy, as she and Oscar joined them in the front hall.

"More importantly you look like the sons of a baron of industry," said Oscar, smiling. "Remember, act entitled, not polite."

"Not to worry, Papá," said Gareth, picking up the satchel. "Joshua just needs to keep quiet and glare at people. I'll do the rest."

Joshua leaned in to give Daisy a quick kiss on her cheek before Oscar clapped both boys on the shoulders. "The warriors go with you."

The boys strode out the door and across the fields, satchel in hand, to the edge of the barrier before disapparating to London. They passed into Diagon Alley and approached the huge white edifice that was Gringotts. Joshua paused to read the plaque outside,

 _Enter, stranger, but take heed_

 _Of what awaits the sin of greed,_

 _For those who take, but do not earn,_

 _Must pay most dearly in their turn._

 _So if you seek beneath our floors_

 _A treasure that was never yours,_

 _Thief, you have been warned, beware_

 _Of finding more than treasure there._

The boys glanced at each other. "It's not greed," said Gareth quietly.

"Listen," Joshua began, "I probably should have said this a long time ago, but if anything happens, I just need you know…"

"I do know," Gareth interrupted him, nodding seriously. "And me too."

Joshua huffed a small laugh. "Well, now that we got the gooey sentiments out of the way, let's hit the bank."

It was Gareth's turn to laugh. "We sound like we're planning to rob the place when you say it like that."

Joshua raised his eyebrows. "I thought that's exactly what we were doing."

* * *

"Weasley!" called a rotund man in a purple cloak, waving around a piece of parchment. "You're a curse breaker, aren't you?"

"I was, sir," the tall red-head replied, leaning back casually in his chair. "Did several years in Egypt with the pyramids."

"By Jove, did you really? Remarkable. Why on earth did you give that up to prop up a desk here?"

"True love, sir. My wife is French, and got a job with the bank to help improve her English. I didn't want to be swanning off all over the world and leave her here on her own."

One bushy eyebrow arched upwards. "Admirable, my boy, quite admirable. I myself could do with a bit of swanning off now and then…" He got a far off look in his eye as though imagining adventures in exotic places.

Bill cleared his throat. "Did you want something, sir?"

The supervisor shook his head. "Indeed, indeed I did. Seems there's been a delivery that's to be secured in a vault, but the family thinks the item may be cursed. They requested someone take a look at it. Here's the paperwork."

"Right away, sir," answered Bill easily, standing to his feet. He took the parchment and strode across the office to the lift. As the doors clanged shut and the cage made its way up to the main floor, Bill exhaled a slow breath. The easy part was over.

* * *

The goblin tapped a long, curved nail on the countertop thoughtfully as he looked over the papers before him. "Your family account was closed just a short while ago," he said in a growly kind of voice. "Why have you returned to open an account?"

"As you said, it was a family account," Gareth shrugged. "A few too many fingers in the pie if you catch my drift. I thought it safer to liquidate some things and return another time to open a private vault that wasn't accessible to as many people. These are…uncertain times."

The goblin hurrumphed irritably. "Very well." A large heavy stamp slammed down on the papers. "Ragnar!" the goblin cried. "New vault to be opened on the lower level."

A burly and wizened goblin with black hair came up to the brothers. The first goblin handed him the stamped parchment and a leather bag with something jangling inside. "Follow me," the burly goblin rasped out.

As the three of them turned to make their way into the passages, a tall red haired man with a ponytail strode up to them. "Ragnar, I need an escort to the lower level," he said in a breezy voice, handing the goblin his paperwork.

The goblin glared at him and read over the papers. "Very well, Weasley," he said, making a magical mark of approval on the form with one long finger. "Follow us."

"All right?" Bill asked the other two young men, smiling.

"Quite well, thank you," answered Gareth with a stiff nod, as Joshua ignored him completely.

"Ah, Americans are you? What brings you two across the pond?"

"As an employee of this establishment I should think it obvious that we are here to make either a deposit or withdrawal," responded Gareth coldly. "As to which, that is hardly your concern."

"Fair enough," shrugged Bill. "Lead the way, Ragnar."

They followed the torch-lit stone corridor to a set of railway tracks and cart. They climbed in, Joshua and Bill both tucking their long legs in awkwardly, and the cart rattled away, picking up speed as it delved deeper and deeper under the building, twisting and turning as it went.

"Hold your breath," Bill advised just before they plunged through a waterfall that poured down over the tracks.

As they came out the other side, sopping and coughing from the frigid water, Joshua cast a drying and warming spell over them all. "What was that for?" he asked angrily.

"It's called The Thief's Downfall," replied the goblin. "Washes away any enchantments."

The cart continued to hurtle down the tracks before slowing and then stopping in what appeared to be inky blackness. Ragnar jumped from the cart and grabbed a torch off the wall, lightning it by some means known only to himself. He then pulled something like maracas with metal pieces tied to it out of the leather bag, and began shaking it vigorously.

Joshua winced, and Gareth raised his eyebrows. "Does the noise scare away enchantments too?" he asked dryly.

"No. That's for the dragon," replied Bill.

The other two stared at him. "The dra—"

A roar from around the corner cut off Joshua's remark.

"Not to worry," said Ragnar, with a cruel smile. "The dragon's been trained to expect pain when it hears the noise. We rattle these Clankers until we get past here into the lower vaults. Your paperwork did say you wanted the additional security measures?"

"Ye…yes. Of course we do. I just never imagined a dragon would…fit down here is all."

"It doesn't really," said Bill. "But it's an effective safeguard against sticky fingers."

The group slowly made their way through the last cavern, trepidatiously rattling the Clankers as they skirted the dragon. The enormous reptile raised its head, snorting and roaring in frustration as it shied away from the noise, the chains attached to the shackles on its legs echoing the rattle of the Clankers.

Gareth took a shaky breath once they were past the beast and into the final section of vaults. "Wait here," the goblin instructed Gareth and Joshua, as he stepped up to a vault with Bill beside him and laid his hand against the door. He stepped back as the door melted away and waved Bill forward. "I'll return to escort you out when these two have finished."

Gareth and Joshua followed him obediently down several doors to another vault. When the goblin opened the door, Gareth walked into the large, empty space and set the satchel down reverently inside. He opened it and began to pull out bags that jingled with coin and what were presumably jewels and other treasures. The small pile looked quite odd all by itself in the middle of the floor, but Gareth picked up the satchel and stepped away, nodding as he looked over the room appraisingly. "Thank you, Ragnar. This is quite satisfactory."

They left the vault and the goblin sealed up the door again, returning to the open vault where Bill was kneeling in the doorway, a small parcel open on the floor in front of him. He was muttering to himself and poking the item with his wand.

"All finished up here, Weasley?" asked the goblin in a snide tone.

"Look, I don't mean to be rude, but this is not as easy as it looks, so I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't distract me," Bill replied.

"We'll wait until you're ready," said Gareth, as Joshua slowly drew his wand.

" _Imperio_ ," he said clearly, and the goblin's sneer melted away into a placid expression. "Wait there, Ragnar. Hurry," he said to Bill.

Bill nodded and stood to his feet. "All right, give me a minute to see what they've got down here." He spoke several spells over the piles of treasure, occasionally frowning as the items did or didn't appear to react. At one point he hesitantly stuck out a foot and toed a large silver helmet. An explosive popping noise accompanied the sudden appearance of several more helmets. Bill swore softly, wiped sweat from his brow, and resumed his incantations. Several minutes later he reached out and touched the helmet again. This time it stayed still.

"Ruddy dark wizards," he grumbled. "All that treasure had the _Flagrante_ and _Gemini_ curses on it. Touch anything and it will burn you as it multiplies itself until you're buried under a heap of scorching metal."

"Charming," pronounced Gareth. "Now, we're looking for a small golden cup with two handles and a badger engraved on it." There was silence apart from the occasional clank of metal or jangle of coins as the three set to work, sifting through the treasures. After a few minutes Bill spotted it on the highest shelf, beyond their reach. Eyeing it for a moment, he turned to a nearby suit of armor and wrenched off the arm. Using his wand, Bill levitated the arm up to the top of the shelf, and with one good punch, knocked the cup into Joshua's waiting hands. He tossed it to Gareth, who secured it in the satchel.

"Well, that's that, then," said Bill. "Now to get you out of here." The item inside the brown paper wrapping that Lina had sent over to be cursed as a pretext for access to the Lestrange vault was a beautiful Victorian compact, inlaid with mother of pearl. Remus had followed Lina's instructions to the letter, and one glance at the small mirror inside would now age a person twenty years. Bill decided to just leave it there as it was. After hiding the extra helmets in the darkest back corner Bill returned to his place kneeling on the floor, pretending to examine the compact.

Joshua pointed his wand at the goblin, standing there tranquilly, and cast the _Liberacorpus_ to release him from the spell. The goblin blinked twice as Gareth shifted the satchel to his other hand and said sternly, "Must we really wait around for this employee to do his job?"

Bill stood to his feet. "There, that's done it," he said cheerfully. "All taken care of."

The goblin grumbled something under his breath and waved Bill out of his way impatiently as he pulled the massive door closed. "Right. Clankers out."

The group made their way cautiously back around the dragon and to the waiting cart. It sped through the tunnels, thankfully seeming faster on the way out than the way in. Bill monologued the entire ride back to the main floor, Gareth and Joshua finally climbing out of the car looking highly annoyed with the red-head. Not responding to his cheery goodbyes, or the goblin's irritated grunt, the brothers marched imperiously out of the bank, cloaks sweeping behind them.

Bill waved to the goblin and went to take the lift back down to his desk. As he passed Fleur, he bent to drop a kiss on her lips and gave her the barest hint of a wink, pressing the stamped paperwork he had snagged from Ragnar into her hands. Fleur dipped her quill into the inkwell on her desk and began filing in the last part of the forms, stating the item had been neutralized and the owners informed.

* * *

Back at the farmhouse, Gareth and Joshua were seated at the kitchen table, Jane pressing cups of hot chocolate on them. "I think I prefer a straight fight to all this sneaking around," said Joshua.

"I kind of enjoyed it," said Gareth, grinning at him. "Like playing James Bond."

"Well, I'm glad it's over with," said Isabel, looking at the cup in the middle of the table. "It would have been awful if Gareth had been caught or killed before I was able to give him the amazing birthday present I've arranged!"

Gareth laughed as Joshua rolled his eyes at her. "Yeah, Izzy, missing out on your present obviously would have been the most devastating outcome."

* * *

Sorry for the delay! Writer's block was not so much the issue as working out the mechanics of what was happening in which order. But I think I'm on a bit of a roll now, so I hope to have another chapter up in a day or so. Anyone notice the two quotes from different movies? ;) Thanks for reading!


	77. Chapter 77

Chapter 77 ~ November, 1997

The day for Gareth's twenty-first birthday had finally arrived and the house was in full party prepping mode. Scarcely a month passed without some sort of birthday celebration for someone in the household, but Isabel's idea to make this a 1950s cabaret night complete with the new Weasley invention that would finally give Gareth some brass instruments to back up his preferred music genre, meant they were going a little overboard for the occasion.

"Do you think we should have gotten new dresses?" Isabel asked, pivoting slowly in front of the mirror in the girls' room, smoothing the full mint green skirt of the dress she had worn to Bill and Fleur's wedding.

"I love my dress," said Daisy cheerfully, wand aimed at Catherine's head as she attempted to curl her hair.

"We've only worn them once. It's not like we're running out to formal events all the time," said Catherine, rolling her eyes.

"Just because you would prefer to be in jeans mucking out the barn doesn't mean that all of us feel that way," retorted Isabel, sticking her tongue out.

"Don't act all offended," sighed Catherine. "I just meant the way things are now we don't really have a reason to own a lot of formal dresses."

"Izzy's just nervous about her surprise," said Daisy, her words mumbled as she pulled one of a bunch of hair pins from between her lips and jabbed it at the pile of golden curls on Catherine's head.

"Ouch! Don't stab me with them!" Catherine exclaimed, jerking her head away.

"Sorry!" said Daisy. "I wish Mamá were here to do this."

Isabel absentmindedly pressed a hand to her chest, as she found it suddenly tight. Grief reared its head at the most random and sometimes inconvenient moments. She really didn't want to cry right now and have to redo all her makeup.

"I don't think a day goes by that I don't wish that," said Catherine softly. "Every day something seems to happen that she should have been here for, or she would have laughed over. She'd have started teaching Finn his letters and numbers…"

"She'd be after Joshua to propose already," added Daisy. "And for me to practice my spells more. I still get distracted so easily."

"She'd be telling me to slow down and think before I speak," whispered Isabel, sinking down onto the bed.

"Oh, Izzy, that isn't all she ever thought about you," said Catherine, turning towards her. She knelt down in front of her younger sister and smoothed Isabel's hair back gently. "She told me all the time how fearless you were, and more than that, how much you reminded her of herself when she was young."

"Really?" asked Isabel, her eyes bright with tears, searching Catherine's face.

"Really truly. She would have been immensely proud of all the work you've put into Gareth's birthday and the radio broadcasts."

Isabel hugged her sister tightly and sniffed back her tears. "Thanks. Ugh, I didn't want to cry! It took me forever to get that liquid eyeliner right."

Daisy handed Isabel a tissue. "Just dab a little in the corners. It's not smeared or anything. Tonight's going to be fabulous! Now, Cat, come back here. I'm almost finished."

With the final curls pinned in place, the girls stood together in front of the long mirror. "Perfect," announced Isabel. "Now come on. Papá should be here with Deirdre by now."

"I didn't know you'd invited her. That's a sweet thought," said Catherine.

"She's great, and her pack's mostly older. I know she likes hanging out with us when we're there for training," said Isabel.

"Maybe she could stay over for a couple days," suggested Daisy brightly. "We could have a girly weekend like Artemis' hen night."

"That's a great idea!" agreed Isabel enthusiastically. "Let's go ask her!" She left the room as quickly as possible, heels clicking down the hall toward the stairs. Catherine shook her head, laughing, and followed her out.

Daisy let out a small sigh and looked over at the wall calendar, beside the door, swinging slightly from the skirts swishing past it. If Deirdre was at the farm for the full moon tomorrow night that would at least be one less person to worry about.

* * *

Remus took a quick sip of his glass of water and continued reading the latest Quibbler article aloud, pausing now and again to explain something or offer further details. It was harder to get through both morning and evening broadcasts on his own without feeling the information was overly grim. Sirius' lighter approach to life had been a good balance.

"So that concludes the news for this evening," Remus said as he finished the article and began reading off the note card of the day's schedule. "There will be a short break as we reset to bring you our nightly live performance of the Howling Commandos. Tonight's program will feature music from the crooners of the nineteen fifties and a remarkable new instrument from Weasley and Weasley, purveyors of Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Their storefront may be gone, but the ingenuity continues." Remus stopped and stared at the card before sighing and shaking his head. "Send all orders through the Muggle post, care of the Wizarding Defense Network, Box 0817 at the Mickelgate Post Office, York, YO1 6LE. We will be adjusting our frequency at this time. Please use the password Moody to access the next four hours of broadcasting."

Joshua adjusted the tuning on the broadcast equipment and pointed his wand at it, clearly enunciating the spell to add the password protection, then began packing up the machine to move it into the living room where the band was setting up.

Remus stood from the end of the dining room table and stretched before going over to the sideboard and pouring himself a drink from the pitcher of cocktails Jane had set out. The long table was already groaning with a spread of heavy hors d'oeuvres that would be tonight's evening meal. Finn, Colleen, and Ana had all been put to bed early, and everyone was dressed and ready for the party.

"Nice plug for the Weasleys there," Joshua remarked dryly as he placed the radio on a cart to wheel across to the living room.

Remus snorted. "If I'd realized I was doing an advert, I would have stopped sooner." Taking a slow, appreciative sip of the cocktail, Remus stared out the window into the dark night. "Pity Sirius is missing the festivities," he remarked. "It's right up his alley, the theatricality of everything."

Joshua looked at him for a moment and then out the window as well. "We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us through that darkness to a safe and sane future," he said slowly.

Remus looked at him in surprise. "John F. Kennedy said that."

Joshua nodded. "The quote was in a defense book, oddly enough. I'd never heard that he was a wizard. Maybe the author had No-Maj parents."

"What book was that?" Remus asked, growing very still, his eyes searching Joshua's face intently.

"It's called _An Armory of Magic_. George's copy is a mess, pretty worn out, but it's good. Gets into the whys and not just the hows of defensive magic."

"Could I…could I see the book?" Remus asked in a halting voice.

"Sure. I'll go get it," Joshua nodded, and pushed the cart out of the room, the door swinging closed behind him.

Remus took another drink and tried to calm his racing heart. Could it be after all these years and fruitless searching that he'd finally stumbled upon a copy of his book? That small little tome he'd poured his heart and soul into during those last dark years of the first war. Prongs had paid for the publishing, just a small run of a hundred copies, more to give away than try to sell. They wanted people to be able to defend themselves. To know what they were up against and how to take precautions. When the war was over and his life in shambles, Remus had lost track of the original transcript and had never been able to find any printings.

Joshua was back a couple minutes later, holding out a very tattered pile of pages. Remus took the book and ran his fingers over the title page, then turned to the dedication. _For my brothers in arms and all those who follow after us. A light shines in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it._ He sank wearily into a chair, almost unable to process it. Snippets of memories flashed across his mind of how things had been, how he'd thought things would always be.

"Have you read the book?" Joshua asked tentatively, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I wrote it," Remus answered softly, trying to reign in his trailing thoughts. "During the first war."

"You're J. Howell?" asked Joshua in surprise. "Why didn't you use your real name?"

"I was known to enough people that I didn't think a defense book written by someone classified as a dark creature would go over very well," Remus said, shaking his head. "So I used my middle initial and my mother's maiden name."

"It's been really helpful," said Joshua, taking the chair across from him. "I mean…maybe it sounds weird, but knowing the background of the spells and which spells might be more effective in different situations, has made my spells seem…stronger. Like it helps me access the magic better. George kind of said the same thing."

"Has it?" asked Remus curiously. "That's interesting. We can test it out at the next training session."

"You…you saw the wolves, the warriors…the first time we met with Alec's pack," Joshua asked, his voice dropping. "Have you seen anything since then?"

"No," answered Remus, his own voice softening. "That's been the only time."

"Daisy's worried," Joshua sighed. "I think…I think more of us are going to die. But she won't talk a lot about it because she says some things can still change. And I'm supposed to fight for her, but it's hard when I don't know what she's dealing with. She used to talk more about it with me."

Remus leaned back in his chair, running his thumb along the rim of his glass. "I feel it's probably wise of her to not share everything that she hears and sees. There's no need to stir up extra fears if, as she herself said, things can change. The other simple answer is that of course some of us may die. It is a war, after all, and we knew this going into it. But," he added offering a half smile, "I do understand what it is to not have the person you love feel they can confide in you."

Joshua acknowledged the empathy with a nod. "My birth father died fighting for this twisted version of purity, that somebody's blood is more important than their character. I'm really okay with dying to right that wrong. I just…I just don't want her to feel like she has to go through this alone."

"I think she knows that," said Remus thoughtfully. "She carries a very different burden than the rest of us, and were it not for the purity of her character, as you put it, I think we would see a very different Daisy as she tried to manage all of the information. It could be that she just wants you to be sheltered from some things right now, so that she can feel sheltered from it when she's with you."

"That makes sense," said Joshua, nodding slowly. "Thank you."

"Not at all. Now, hadn't you better join the rest of your siblings? I'm sure Isabel is itching to begin."

Joshua grinned and ducked out of the room, leaving Remus to again pick up the worn copy of his book, carefully leafing through the pages. Phrases and paragraphs, carefully crafted over months jumped out at him, memories of pacing through the flat he'd shared with Sirius, quill stuck behind his ear as he tried to formulate the best way to describe wand movements. That was before things had all fallen apart, before the Potters had gone into hiding and he and Sirius had turned on each other. He glared for a moment at Helga Hufflepuff's shining golden cup sitting in the center of the mantle, seeming so innocuous. Even with a gap of almost a dozen years, it felt like war had consumed his life, Voldemort had consumed his life, and he was just plain tired of it.

* * *

Deirdre's hands brushed restlessly against the lacy overlay of her dark green dress as she stood in the living room of the old farmhouse. Like the other girls, it was the same dress she had worn to the Weasley wedding. Her hair was down and hung past her shoulder, the ends just barely cured. A very debonair Oscar had fetched her from the encampment in Galloway Forest, Alec and Circe looking so pleased that she had been invited to the party. And she was pleased too, naturally it was nice to be thought of and included, but she also fought very hard to temper the bit of jealousy that always crept up when she spent time with the Americans. In spite of them all being werewolves and having been given up by their families, she even wondered if there maybe was something to this pureblood idea. They all just seemed so much more secure and content with their lives, like Princess Diana always appeared to be. Maybe your circumstances didn't matter. Maybe you were just lucky enough to be born into something like that, that ability to rise above and handle things graciously.

Isabel had disappeared behind an object covered with a big tablecloth when Gareth pushed open the door of the living room, whistling cheerfully. Deirdre watched him smile broadly at the state of the room, decorated as if a mad clown had let loose a barrage of balloons and streamers. And then he noticed the large odd shape, draped with fabric behind the instruments on the little stage

"Now what's behind here?" Gareth asked, moving to pull at the corner.

"Don't touch that!" came a shriek from behind the fabric.

"Isabel, why are you hiding back there?" he asked.

"It's part of your present, back off!" she said stridently.

"All right, all right. Don't freak out," Gareth laughed. "I can wait patiently for the unveiling."

"Well, you won't have to wait too long, we're almost ready. Go say hello to Deirdre."

"Hello to Deirdre," Gareth said, grinning, as he turned away from the stage and towards the red-head watching the interaction.

"Hiya," she answered, smiling a little shyly. "Have you a had a nice birthday so far?"

"Wonderful," he answered. "Jane always makes French toast for my birthday. And Isabel's planned this party around my favorite style of music. And now you're here, so I might get to dance with a girl who isn't my sister. Pretty great day."

Deirdre, quite unreasonably, felt a little bit annoyed with him right at that moment. Was that some sort of line or what? She had heard plenty of lines from blokes in her short life, usually thrown out very casually just before their eyes roamed over her body. She didn't like it at all, but she knew how to deal with it. Gareth, on the other hand, seemed entirely sincere, as well he always kept his eyes on her face or looking in an entirely different direction whenever they spoke. She didn't know quite what to make of him and found it unnerving.

The door opened again and Joshua entered, pushing a large cart in front of him, loaded with machines and wires and microphones. Gareth moved to help him set everything up as the rest of the household filed into the room, all dressed to the nines.

Xander nudged her lightly with his shoulder as he passed. "Glad you could make it kiddo. Let's grab a seat."

Deirdre followed him to the chairs set up facing the stage gratefully. His type she knew very well; she'd seen them over and over again working in the pub with her mum. Men like him were usually the life of the party that secretly drank away a lot of regrets. She didn't think Xander actually drank that much, but he harbored a lot of regrets. She could see that in his eyes.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we would like to welcome you to a slightly different broadcast this evening," began Isabel. "We are celebrating a birthday here and will be bringing you the best hits of that bygone age of the Crooners. Since we want to enjoy some family time tonight as well as play for you, we will be alternating live and recorded music throughout the evening. But our first order of business is to present a gift. My brother Gareth is turning twenty-one today, and we've put together a little something special for him."

At this, Isabel left the mic and went back behind the covered surprise as Joshua began a drum solo. Deirdre watched Gareth's face, his brows knit together. He looked intrigued as he watched Joshua, apparently recognizing the song, but not sure where things were going with it. Then the fabric was pulled away to reveal a strange organ-type instrument with pipes sticking up towards the ceiling. Isabel and Daisy were standing side by side at it, before two rows of piano keys, and in time with the drum beats began pressing the keys. Instead of a piano or organ, it sounded like a small brass band. Two pairs of hands danced over the rows of keys and Gareth looked on, his face now stunned, as they played though a fairly decent version of _Sing, Sing, Sing._

The song finished with a flourish, and Isabel turned back to the microphone. "Ladies and Gentlemen, that was the debut of Weasley and Weasley's latest prototype, the Four-In-One-Brass-O-Matic Organ, patent pending. As soon as old What's His Name is defeated and Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes is back in full production, these amazing instruments will be available. Remember folks, you heard it here first! And now let's give a big welcome and wish a happy birthday to the man of the hour, the man with the golden pipes and dulcet tones, a man of style, charisma, and a great imitator of Sinatra, the man currently rolling his eyes at me and trying not to blush…my brother, Gareth!"

Anyone listening to the broadcast at this point was probably laughing and shaking their head throughout that announcement in much the same way the "studio audience" was, before they erupted into cheers and applause. Deirdre was laughing as well, when a thought struck her. She'd spent the most time with Isabel, and despite the girl's antics and exuberance, she was quite a genuine person. Suppose her brother was the same? That despite his charisma and confidence he was actually just an authentically nice person?

Isabel started the funny Weasley organ up again playing a more mellow number and Gareth took his place at the microphone.

 _Blue skies, smiling at me. Nothing but blue skies do I see._

He did sound remarkably like a young Frank Sinatra, and was clearly enjoying the music. George tossed a fedora at him, which Gareth caught deftly and placed on his head with a dramatic, exaggerated movement, trying to sing and not laugh. He caught Deirdre's eye and winked at her, as though he knew it was all silly and affected, but still great fun, and Deirdre felt a funny sick feeling in her stomach. No matter how nice or genuine he might be, she was not going to be the pitiful poor friend who fell for the wealthy pureblood. It sounded like something out of a Jane Austen novel.

* * *

Gareth considered it a magnificent, exhausting evening. People had fussed over him, he'd sung his favorite songs, and danced with a pretty girl that for once wasn't too old or practically related to him. It was probably a bit odd to feel so contented with his life in the middle of a war, but despite the hardships and grief he had experienced in his life, or perhaps because of it, Gareth felt closer to being the kind of man he wanted to be than he ever had before.

And now they had reached the time of the evening he actually liked the best. The festivities were technically over, Artemis' radio was playing softly to finish out the broadcast, and the household was gathered on sofas, chairs, and floor cushions finishing up last cups of coffee or tea.

"Three cheers for Isabel, that was an excellent birthday," Gareth said from his place on the floor, cradling his mug of coffee as he leaned against the front of the sofa. "Thank you very much for going to all that trouble."

"My pleasure," she responded, smiling in delight. "I'm glad everything worked out so perfectly."

"Deirdre, are you ready for someone to take you home, sweetie?" asked Jane, as she starting rounding up the cups and saucers and stacking them on a nearby tray. "It's so late."

"Oh, no, please stay for a couple days!" cried Isabel. "Hermione's not here right now, so we've an extra bed. Daisy thought we could have a slumber party."

The entire room was now focused on the red-head, and she started to look uncomfortable with the attention. "Well, I didn't bring anything…" she started to say, but Isabel cut her off.

"I'm sure we have clothes and stuff you can borrow," insisted Isabel, cutting her off.

"Isabel, for pete's sake, don't bully her," said Gareth. "If she'd rather go home, let her go home. But we're not hurrying you out either," he added, smiling reassuringly at Deirdre. "Stay as long as you want."

She stared at him for a moment before she seemed to catch herself and glanced quickly around the room. "I just don't want to be any trouble," she said, ducking her head a little.

"Nonsense, my dear," said Oscar. "You are quite welcome. I will go and speak with Circe and let her know." He rose to his feet and left the room, the sound of the front door closing following just after.

Isabel jumped to her feet and grabbed Deirdre's hand. "Come upstairs. We'll pick out some pajamas for you and try out this new nail polish I bought." Catherine and Daisy trailed after them, giggling, chattering voices fading away up the stairs.

"How about we play some poker?" suggested Xander. "We haven't had a game in weeks."

"Great idea," agreed Artemis. "Jane and Ellie and I will clean up."

"You don't have to do all that by yourself," protested Remus.

"Don't be silly!" she answered, leaning over to place a soft kiss on his cheek. "We'll have a good gossip about the evening, and it won't take any time at all."

"The food was wonderful tonight, Jane. Thanks!" Gareth called after her, Jane waving the compliment away as she left the room.

"All right, circle up," urged Xander, as Remus enlarged the round coffee table and pulled chairs up to it.

"We'll have to bow out, I'm afraid," said Xavier apologetically. "Hezekiah, Fred, and I are on patrol with Tonks and Kingsley tonight.

"Right. Stay safe," Xander nodded seriously to his brother, before pulling out a deck of cards and box of poker chips. Then he, Remus, Kieran, George, Joshua and Gareth took their seats around the table, Xander expertly shuffling and dealing. "Five card draw, gentlemen. Nothing wild. Buy in is ten."

"Ten of what?" asked George. "Sickles? Galleons?"

"Just ten chips," answered Gareth. "We didn't have money to play with on the res, so we just use chips and then trade chores to pay up."

"Ah, excellent. I will be happy to do any extra chores that I can share with Isabel," George said with a grin, which quickly faded as Xander caught his eye. "Only joking!" he added hastily.

"Lay off Xander," muttered Kieran, focusing on his hand. "I bid two." The table quieted momentarily as bids were made and chips clinked onto the center of the table.

But Xander wasn't one to stay quiet for long. "And Gareth, what are your intentions with Deirdre?" he asked suddenly.

Gareth choked on the sip of coffee he'd just taken. "I don't have any intentions at all," he said in surprise. "And I'll take three cards."

"Don't tell me you didn't notice her watching you," Xander said with a smirk, dealing again.

"I was singing half the night. Everybody was watching me," Gareth replied, rolling his eyes.

"You danced with her."

"I danced with several people."

Joshua and George watched the ping pong of words curiously, as Kieran and Remus tried to ignore them. "Well, I think she has a soft spot for you. Just something to consider," Xander finished.

"I call," Kieran interrupted loudly, laying down his hand. "Flush."

There were a few good natured groans as the others laid out their cards. Remus counted up the chips and made a note on the paper where they were keeping score. The topic was dropped over the next few hands, the men talking easily about a number of other things.

"What's the plan for destroying the other horcrux?" George asked. "Fiendfyre chamber probably isn't feasible again."

"That will depend on how convinced Papá's cousin, Luis, is that we're on their side," answered Joshua. "He and Gareth have been invited to a product meeting this week."

"I'm not sure I'll be able to sneak away during that," said Gareth regretfully. "Might have to wait it out…lull them into a false sense of security."

"Gareth's decided he likes being James Bond," Joshua snorted.

"Dangerous game," said Remus, shaking his head. "Joshua, you mentioned that you felt you spells were stronger than before. I'd like to test you and George tomorrow if that's all right."

"Sure thing. I think we're both assigned to training with Alec's group tomorrow before the full moon."

"It would appear Kieran is the winner this evening," said Remus, looking over the final tally. "Xander owes him three hours, Gareth two, and George, Joshua and I each owe one."

"Happy birthday to me," quipped Gareth, shaking his head, before yawning. "Well, I'm off to bed. I'm up to run the equipment for Daisy in the morning. Thanks again for tonight. It was amazing."

The group broke up and wandered off to their respective rooms, Gareth and Joshua alone in theirs, as Hezekiah was still out on patrol. Gareth shivered slightly as he changed into flannel pajamas before tossing his shirt into the laundry pile and hanging up his suit to air out. "Hey Josh, what Xander said about Deirdre…do you…think he's right?" he asked thoughtfully. "I don't want to lead her on, even accidentally."

Joshua shrugged. "I don't really pay attention to her, so I don't know. She's pretty…but seems a little quiet for you. You're…you," he added waving his hand in Gareth's general direction.

"Is that a compliment or a criticism?" asked Gareth dryly.

"Take it however you want." Joshua grinned and ducked, as Gareth threw a pillow at him. "But to be honest, neither one of you have had the time or opportunity to meet normal people you could date. I guess it makes sense that she'd sort of be drawn to you, even if you're a little extreme about some things."

Gareth made a face. "You really know how to do wonders for somebody's ego," he muttered, retrieving his pillow and climbing into bed. "I don't want to meet anyone right now. It was horrific losing Mamá. It would be horrific losing Papá, or you, or the girls. I don't want anybody else right now to…to have that kind of place in my life."

"Well don't stress out about it," said Joshua, giving him a sidelong look as he burrowed into this own bed. "You're absolutely right that there's enough to worry about right now. You're a nice guy. You aren't going to irreparably damage the girl because you're not sure how she feels about you."

"Yeah, okay," Gareth agreed as he pulled the covers up closer to his chin. "Thanks, Josh."

"No problem," he answered through a yawn. "Happy birthday."

* * *

Thanks for reading! Next time we catch up with our friends in the Forbidden Forest and spend the full moon with the other pack...


	78. Chapter 78

Chapter 78 ~ November, 1997

A twig snapped off in the distance and Hermione shifted closer to both Ron and the fire at the same moment he shifted closer to her. As many times as she'd been in the Forbidden Forest it still made her a little nervous. There were just so many things one didn't know about the creatures that dwelt here.

"What we've observed around Hogwarts seems to indicate Snape's got everyone locked down pretty tight," she said, trying to sound businesslike. "I think we're less likely to get caught trying to get the wand from Dumbledore's tomb than breaking into the school itself to find Malfoy."

"I agree," said Harry, the fire casting odd shadows over his face as he nodded. "So we need to get one of the boats and row over to the island. What sort of spells do you think they maybe put on the tomb?"

"Probably nothing," Ron shrugged. "Most wizards aren't buried with anything more than their wand. Wouldn't do for some unsuspecting Muggle…what do you call 'em? Arklogist? to find magical objects centuries after they'd been buried."

"That's true," Hermione agreed eagerly. "Bill told me that was where the story about the curse of King Tut's tomb came from. The Muggle archeologists happened upon some truly cursed objects, and Ministry officials had to obliviate them and spread the story that one of the men died from blood poisoning."

"We'll wait another hour," said Harry decisively. "Hagrid should be well asleep by then, and won't notice anyone in the boat shed."

Another twig snapped and Harry peered into the darkness toward the sound. His eyes narrowed as he stood and walked away from the campfire, wand held out in front of him. A soft whine reached his ears and Harry lowered his wand with a resigned sigh as he watched the large black dog approach. "Padfoot," he said grimly.

The dog instantly transformed. "Harry," Sirius responded in an equal tone. "Felt like a bit of a camping trip did we?"

"I felt like following up on something that might give me an advantage," Harry replied defensively. "The rest of you didn't seem open to it."

Sirius looked at him intently for a moment before giving a curt nod and striding past Harry to the fire. Pulling something out of his pocket he enlarged what turned out to be a good-sized satchel and dropped it on the ground, taking a seat before the crackling flames. "I don't suppose you grabbed too many provisions before heading out," he said cheerfully as he started digging through the bag. "But not to worry, Jane sent plenty with me." He tossed packets of sandwiches and crisps to Ron and Hermione before delving once more into the bag and pulling out bottles of Butterbeer. "She put some handy unbreakable charms on these bottles. Now…what's your plan?"

"Borrow a boat, row over to the island, break into Dumbledore's tomb, take the Elder wand," Ron answered around a mouthful of sandwich.

Harry slowly walked back over and sat beside Sirius, meekly accepting the food he held out. Truth be told, they hadn't brought much food. He hadn't wanted anyone to know what they were doing, so the best they'd managed was Ron quickly nicking some biscuits and fruit that were sitting out in the kitchen.

"Just so we're clear," Sirius began in a stern voice. "I am not happy about you lot running off on your own. We may not have agreed on what to do about the Deathly Hallows, but you decided to go your own way after just one conversation. You could have at least allowed us some time to think it over and discuss it more. That was a pretty impetuous decision."

"You aren't exactly the poster child for well thought out decisions!" Harry exclaimed in disbelief.

"Exactly," Sirius nodded. "Learn from my mistakes. Success is never a guarantee, but having a plan and trusting your team lets you sleep a lot easier than living with the results of rushing in thoughtlessly. And Rosa's kids would agree with me."

A solemn silence met those words, the three teenagers glancing at each other. "You also seem to have forgotten that we care about all of you and would just be plain worried," Sirius added.

"I didn't forget that," Ron mumbled, taking a swig of the Butterbeer. "Couldn't let Harry go off on his own, though, could we?"

"Of course not," sighed Sirius. "So when do we borrow this boat?"

"One more hour," said Harry, "to make sure Hagrid and the prefects and any teachers are finished with their rounds and asleep."

* * *

A lone figure stood by the window looking up at the full moon. Lina wrapped her arms around herself against the cold air near the glass. Most rooms were enchanted to remain at a comfortable temperature, but letting the ancient stone and leaded windows conduct the heat of August or the chill of November reminded Lina of her family's old stone farmhouse. She wondered how all the werewolves that had so far managed to cross her path were spending the frigid night. Ellie disappearing with one of the children right out of the Malfoy's basement a month ago had caused quite an uproar, and Lina was thankful she had been nowhere near the mansion at the time. Claudius Burke had been the one to discover Ellie trying to leave. She'd spent longer than normal down with the children and he'd gone to haul her out of that nasty room and bring her home. He hadn't even realized what was happening, and in a fit of self-entitled temper that Ellie was taking so long, simply blasted what he felt were dirty, loathsome creatures away from his wife. The children left behind weren't keen to tell him where she'd gone, but he'd soon forced it out of them. Lina wasn't the least bit sorry that Claudius Burke had taken the brunt of the disapproval for somehow allowing Ellie to secure a portkey, and Lucius Malfoy wasn't far behind as his house didn't turn out to be quite as escape-proof as he'd claimed.

Suddenly the shadows of three students emerged from the tree line and began to creep around the edge of the lake. Lina's brow furrowed. None of the other teachers had mentioned giving anyone detention outside tonight. A fourth shadow of a large dog joined them, coming up from behind and taking the lead of the group, pausing now and again to sniff the air, his ears pricked and his body language clearly indicating he was on high alert. As still as she stood, Lina felt like her body now froze completely. What on earth was Sirius doing here?! There was no way that familiar shape sneaking around the grounds with three people was a coincidence.

She needed to find out what was going on. Turning abruptly, Lina glanced down, realizing she was already in her pajamas. At least they were mostly black. Tucking her wand up her sleeve, she left the room and made her way over to the Headmasters' quarters. Pausing to wink at one of the leering portraits, she gave the password and made her way up the stairs. Severus, wearing pajamas and a dressing gown, swung the door open at her knock and stared at her uncomprehendingly for a moment. "I was lonely," Lina said with a whispered pout, widening her eyes and pulling him towards his bedroom.

Once alone in the room, Severus pulled his dressing gown more tightly around himself and sank into a chair. "What is it now?" he asked irritably.

"I think Sirius is here, possibly with Harry and I need you to lower me out the window," Lina responded succinctly.

Severus stared at her. "How do you know this?" he asked.

"I saw a dog that looked like his animagus form outside of my window. There were three other people with him. I wondered at first if they were students out for a detention, but they were sneaking along the edge of the lake and then the dog joined them. I want to go check it out. I'll change into my fox form and you can lower me out the window so I don't have to worry about getting out of the castle."

The long-suffering sigh was almost amusing. "Fine," Snape answered, standing to his feet and moving to the window. He flung it open and shivered as the cold air rushed past him. With a flourish of his wand, the red fox waiting at his feet floated into the air and out of the window. Severus kept a steady hand as Lina descended down the side of the wall. Once safely on the snowy ground, she darted off towards the lake. Severus closed the window and sighed again. Realizing he was in for a who knew how long of a wait, he went to side table and pressed a small buzzer. The next moment a house elf appeared with a loud crack. "What is Headmaster Snape needing, Sir?" chirped a high pitched voice.

"Tea please," answered Severus.

The house elf nodded and disapparated, reappearing again just a few moments later with a tray laden down by a pot of tea, cream pitcher and plate of hot buttered muffins. "Thank you, Beezie," Severus said, pouring himself a cup.

The house elf nodded and with a cheerful, "Beezie is quite happy to be serving Headmaster Snape, Sir!" she disappeared. Content in the knowledge that he was completely alone, Severus allowed himself a small laugh at the little elf's attitude. It was quite a matter of pride that she and she alone was responsible for serving the Headmaster of Hogwarts, and it was immaterial to her whether that Headmaster was the greatest wizard of all time or a traitorous undercover spy. Flicking his wand at a nearby chair, Severus slid it up to the window, took his tea and a muffin, and settled in to wait.

* * *

Harry held the boat steady while Ron helped Hermione step into it. He climbed in after and Harry turned to let Sirius on next. But Padfoot was standing stiff at attention, his ears perked and nose working frantically. "Padfoot, come on!" Harry urged. "Let's go."

But the dog ignored him and shifted his feet as if he was about to race off, before letting out a soft whine.

"Is somebody coming?" whispered Hermione.

The dog whined again, louder and his tail began wagging frantically, making his whole body shake. The teenagers watched in surprise as a fox made its way swiftly along the lake's edge towards them. When it reached the group, Padfoot tried to stifle a happy yelp and dropped onto his belly. The fox pulled itself up abruptly and seemed to eye the exuberant dog with exasperation before letting out a small growly noise and leaping past the dog onto the boat, where it calmly sat down and stared at the others. Padfoot followed with a leap that almost knocked Ron overboard, and sat beside the fox. Harry shook his head as he gave the boat a shove and climbed in after them, sloshing through the shallow water.

"Friend of yours?" he asked Sirius.

"Harry, I think that's the same fox we saw leaving with Padfoot and Professor Snape that one time, remember?" said Hermione softly. "Professor Snape threatened to use them to test poisons on."

Harry looked skeptically at the two animals. Then the dog leaned over and licked the fox across its face, loosing another string of little growls. Ron shrugged and began rowing. The boat glided silently over the pitch black water to the small island in the middle. As the boat bumped against the shallow bottom of the shore, Harry climbed out and waded forward, Ron quickly joining him to pull the boat further up onto the sand. Hermione followed the dog and fox as they leaped from the craft and walked towards the stone tomb in the center of a small glade of trees. Once they were well hidden in the trees the dog and fox were suddenly gone and Harry watched in shock and then irritation as Sirius flung his arms around the red-headed woman beside him.

"Miss Andersson," Harry muttered under his breath. "Or not."

"Honestly, you are quite impossible," Lina gasped, as she tried to push Sirius away. "What on earth do you think you're doing coming here? Why didn't you try to let me know so we could have arranged things to be safer for you?"

"Well, circumstances didn't allow for that," Sirius answered. "We're here to take Dumbledore's wand."

"What on earth for?" Lina asked, frowning.

"Just wanted a memento," Harry answer guilelessly, shoving his hands in his pockets and willing Sirius not to contradict him.

"Harry don't be ridiculous," Hermione whispered. "Whether you think she's on our side or not, she's not stupid. Besides, she helped Ellie and the little girl get away from the Malfoy house like she said she would, right?"

Sirius looked at Harry. "If this goes badly it's on me, all right? You can say 'I told you so' and I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make up for it. But I'm going to tell her the truth, because I trust her." When Harry looked away and didn't answer, Sirius turned to Lina. "It's about something called the Deathly Hallows. Have you heard of them?"

Lina shook her head.

"They are supposed to be artifacts, that, when in the possession of one wizard, makes him the master of death. We think Dumbledore's wand is one of them."

"So we're taking it, are we?" Lina said, looking over at the edifice appraisingly.

"Have you ever done a bit of grave robbing?" asked Sirius with a smirk.

"Muggles, not wizards," Lina answered frankly, still studying the tomb as she circled it slowly, running her hand along the edge. "This is sealed," she added. "I don't think we can just shove the top off."

"Doesn't seem right to blast it off with Dumbledore still inside," remarked Ron with a frown.

Lina looked at him askance. "Of course not, Mr. Weasley. There's no need to employ a sledge hammer when a scalpel is at hand." Drawing her wand, Lina pointed it at the corner of the sarcophagus. " _Sectumse_ —"

"NO!" shouted Harry, lunging for her.

Lina sidestepped him and began to back away, her wand now pointed at Harry. She watched him raptly as she moved around until the stone tomb was between them. "What are you doing, Mr. Potter?" she asked in an icy voice that could have rivaled Snape.

"That's a curse," he answered hotly. "You of all people know what it can do!"

Lina took in his flushed cheeks and the wand pointed at her in a steady hand. Glancing at Ron and Hermione who had also drawn their wands, Lina lowered hers and held it out towards Sirius, who had moved halfway between her and Harry. Sirius hesitated, but took the wand and glanced disappointedly at Harry. "Come now, Mr. Potter," said Lina in a stern voice. "You can do better than that." Straightening her shoulders, she settled into teacher mode."It's simply a highly effective cutting spell. What is it that differentiates curses from other spells?"

"Motive," whispered Hermione, and then looked a little surprised that she had spoken out loud.

"Five points to Gryffindor," said Lina dryly. "Look, you aren't children any more. Magic operates in grey, not black and white. Spells are basically neutral, what matters is how you use them. I've seen Artemis kill a man by giving him gills in mid air and I've seen her use the same spell to save someone's life who was being dragged under by mermaids. You, Mr. Potter, have used this spell to harm someone and I, if you will allow me, am going to use it to cut through stone."

"Daisy says you're on our side," Ron spoke up. "You and Snape. She says your warriors are strong."

"We are on your side," Lina said softly. "Always have been. As to my warrior…I've never seen or spoken with her, so I couldn't say for certain, but if she's put up with me for this long…then yes, I would guess that she's quite strong."

"Harry. Let her try."

Sirius' gentle voice seemed to finally cut through Harry's daze, and he slowly nodded. "Go ahead," he said in a tight voice. "But I'll keep my wand on you if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all. It won't be the first time I've had to work under pressure." Sirius handed Lina back her wand and she aimed it once more at the corner of the sarcophagus. " _Sectumsempra_ ," she said clearly, watching the light flash from her wand and hit the corner of the tomb. She kept a tight grip, tracing the seam where the lid met the sides, and began to walk around it. Little cracking noises followed her as the stone adjusted to the separation.

When she'd finished she aimed her wand at the cover of the stone box and the blue light that shot out began to slide the cover sideways. "Sirius, come help me balance it."

The two of them kept their wands fixed on the lid, balancing it halfway off of the tomb, the faintest scent of decay wafting from the container. "You better take it, Harry," said Hermione in a shaky voice. "Just in case it…the wand…needs to recognize you or something."

Swallowing hard, Harry approached the stone box and peered over the side. There he lay, just as if he were asleep, the greatest wizard of the century, maybe of all time — Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. The wand lay on his chest, his hands crossed over it. Harry reached over and tugged lightly on the wand. It came easily, almost eagerly. As soon as Harry stepped back, Lina and Sirius slid the cover back into place.

"Now that you have the wand, could I ask a few questions?" Lina said tucking her own wand back in her sleeve. "You said there were artifacts, plural. If this is one, what are the others? And how do they work?"

"Have you ever read the story of the Three Brothers from Beedle the Bard?" asked Sirius.

"Yes," Lina nodded. "Professor Snape gave me a copy my first year. He said all children raised in magical households would have known the stories. So these are the items from that story? The wand, the invisibility cloak, and the stone that resurrects people? You're saying they're real?"

"Maybe," said Sirius. "But…we…thought it was best to follow up on anything that might give Harry an advantage."

Lina frowned at the wand in Harry's hand. "But if that's the Elder Wand…how could Severus have killed him? Wouldn't the wand have fought back somehow?"

"We think the wand may not have been loyal to Dumbledore at that moment. Before Snape arrived, Dumbledore had already been disarmed by Draco Malfoy. We think he's the current owner."

Lina shook her head in disbelief. "Well, you certainly don't do things by halves do you? Why bother to steal a wand that's only going to answer to someone else?"

"Our next step was breaking into the school to find Malfoy so Harry could disarm him," interjected Ron, his expression turning a little sheepish as Lina turned to stare at him. "Then the wand would answer to Harry," he finished in a mumble, cheeks pinking under her scrutiny.

"Is this a Gryffindor trait, or did he manage to inherit this from you in some bizarre way?" asked Lina, turning to Sirius. "How in the bloody hell did you think stealing a wand from a grave and breaking into a school currently being run by Death Eaters to accost one of the students was a two step plan? You lot are insane…How did retrieving the cup from the Lestrange vault go, by the way?" she added, stepping back and crossing her arms over her chest belligerently.

"Piece of cake," grinned Sirius.

"Yes, because that was meticulously planned, unlike whatever you think you're doing here!" Lina burst out in exasperation.

"Soooooo, you can help us plan out step two!" said Sirius, stepping closer and running his hands over her shoulders.

"Can I speak with you privately for a moment," Lina said between clenched teeth.

"Of course," said Sirius, waving her deeper into the cluster of trees and throwing up a silencing spell behind them.

"What is really going on here?!" Lina exploded, rounding on him. "I almost expect you to try something like this, but with three teenagers?! One of which is currently the most wanted person in Great Britain! What were you thinking?!"

Sirius took a step back and held up his hands placatingly. "I would _never_ do anything that put Harry at risk…well, I would never do anything _now_ that put Harry at risk. I know I haven't made great choices in the past…Those first months I was out of prison…well, I was working through some things, and…well, that's not the point. The point is that Harry and the others ran off to try and do this on their own after they thought we were being too cautious. I only caught up with them tonight. I know it's reckless! That's why I was so glad you found us!"

"The thing to do now is take care of this and get you out of here as quickly as possible," muttered Lina, almost to herself as she began pacing. "Chasing after some wand from a fairy tale…insane…You need to stay in the forest…I'll find a way to get Draco assigned a detention… Hagrid has a Lethen finch…" She paced some more, mumbling to herself before she stopped abruptly and turned on Sirius. "All right, let's go. I think I can handle it."

Sirius smiled. "I knew you could," he said softly, moving closer to her.

Lina placed a hand on his chest to keep him from coming nearer, her lips quirking up slightly. "You put up a silencing charm, not a concealment charm. I'd rather you not snog me in front of those three. I have an image to maintain."

"Ah yes, the cold, unfeeling Slytherin," he teased, running a finger down her neck. "Where is that pulse anyway?"

Lina grabbed his hand and threaded her fingers with his. "I miss you," she whispered, her face for just a moment showing her weariness and fear. "I miss all of you."

"I miss you too," Sirius murmured, wrapping his hands around both of hers and drawing them up to his chest. "But you are doing brilliantly here. We secured the other horcrux, so there's just one left to find. Ellie and the little girl are safe and home with us. And both of those things wouldn't have happened without you…without you doing what you do. I didn't understand what you meant back in June when you said don't look for heroes where there are only villains, but I do now. And you playing the villain is heroic. And…" he added, grimacing slightly, "I understand why you are loyal to Snape and want to help him. I'm glad you can watch out for each other."

Lina laughed, shaking her head. "Wonders never cease. Now come on, we need to get back."

"Stay with me," he whispered. "We can get the kids settled, and you can stay with me in the forest tonight."

Lina sighed and pulled away slightly. "It's too risky. Severus is waiting to let me back into the castle. There are always portraits and house elves and people who might see something they aren't supposed to see."

"Job like yours and you never take risks?" he challenged with a smirk.

Lina attempted to stare at him sternly. "I make calculated choices, then I don't have to live with foolish regrets."

"Would staying with me cause you foolish regrets?" His charming smile almost unraveling her resolve. Almost.

"If it gets us killed?" She asked wryly. "Yes."

Sirius' smile softened and he nodded, acknowledging defeat. "I will count the minutes until tomorrow night, then."

Lina filled the kids in on her plan, the two transformed back into their animagus forms, and the group rowed once more across the lake, returning the boat to the shed and making their way to their small camp in the forest. The red fox then touched noses briefly with the large black dog before darting away into the night.

"All right Padfoot?" Harry asked hesitantly as he climbed into his bunk. The dog looked at him and huffed, before stretching out beside Harry's bed and closing his eyes. Harry ruffled the fur on top of his head briefly. "Sorry about blowing up back there," he whispered. "If she helps us tomorrow night I promise I won't say anything more against her."

The dog cracked one eye and nosed Harry's hand before laying his head down on his paws again.

* * *

The fox had hardly reached the stone wall when it was lifted into the air. Up, up, up it floated along the side of castle until it reached an open window and sailed into a warm cozy room, landing gently on the floor.

Lina transformed back and gratefully took the cup of tea in front of her. "Thank you, Sir."

"And what did you discover?" Severus asked, waving her toward an empty chair.

"It was Sirius, Harry, Ron and Hermione," Lina sighed. "They were stealing Dumbledore's wand from his tomb because they think it's the Elder Wand from Beedle's story about the three brothers."

Severus' eyes widened. "Aren't horcruxes enough to chase? Now they're hunting fairytales as well?"

"Oh there's more," Lina said, shaking her head. "They believe the wand will only answer to Draco because he's the one who disarmed Dumbledore that night in the Astronomy Tower, so Harry has to win his wand from him."

"And they thought they'd just show up here and do what? Getting a wand from a dead man is one thing, but what were they planning to do with Draco? Break into the castle? Duel him in the hallway? Gryffindors…" Severus breathed the last word out like a curse.

"Exactly what I said," Lina nodded. "I think I've managed a way to do it, though. And…Sirius said he was glad you and I had each other." She glanced over at him with a teasing smile.

Severus huffed a small laugh. "Well, one thing at least Black and I agree on. But if you tell him that I will most certainly see you live to regret it."

"I won't breathe a word, Sir," Lina smiled as she sipped her tea and settled back into the plush chair.

* * *

Sorry for the delay! I hope to have the next part up on Sunday. Thank you so much for reading!


	79. Chapter 79

Chapter 79 ~ November, 1997

"Again!" Remus called across the field, his eyes narrowing as he studied the movements of the two young men. George and Joshua dueled zealously, flashes lighting up the air around them, as the sky darkened. The full moon would rise soon, but the werewolves paid it no heed. Throughout the encampment, groups gathered to practice spells or fighting in their werewolf form. It was hard to hear yourself think over the cracks and snaps of spells that hit nearby trees, voices calling out incantations, and the snarls and growls.

Remus couldn't help the pride that unfurled in his chest. These young men were fighting better than he'd seen them before, not necessarily faster, but their spells were stronger and you could see them study and evaluate their opponent as they fought, choosing their own hexes or defensive spells wisely rather than just reacting. And both of them said it was because of his book. _His book._ And Joshua had already spoken with Oscar about publishing an updated printing after this war was over. It was remarkable.

A nearby tree branch crashed down after being hit by one of Joshua's spells and barely missed George's head. The two boys froze and stared at each other. "Let's take a break," Joshua said.

"Good idea," agreed George, looking down at the heavy branch and letting out a laugh. "You could have chosen a more subtle way to tell me to _leaf_ you alone."

At Joshua's glower, George waved him away. "It's all right. I was ready to re- _tree-_ t anyway!"

Joshua shook his head, looked around at the gathering darkness and trotted over to Remus. "So before we left, Daisy was a little choked up and had a hard time saying goodbye," he said in a low voice. "You said it was probably better not to know too much, so I didn't ask. I just thought we should be on alert."

Remus nodded. "All right. Let's tell our people and I'll let Alec know to tell whomever of his people he thinks should know."

After Alec McIntyre had been informed, they set up a perimeter to keep watch while the moon rose. Remus kept Catherine close by and told Xander to stick with George. His fighting style was closest to Sirius, and Xander would be accustomed to it. Alec let his strongest fighters know they might be expecting some trouble, and had Circe keep the others closer to the campfire in the center of the encampment. Time seemed to slow as they waited, eating a quick dinner and pacing around the edge of the concealment barrier, keeping an eye out for trouble.

They didn't have to wait long. The full moon had been in the sky for less than half an hour when they began hearing familiar sounding howls. It was unnerving to say the least, an audible reminder of where they had all once been before their healing, wild and rampaging. The English pack wasn't entirely surprised that they would be attacked again, two of their own had deserted the pack to join up with Fenrir Greyback, after all. But everyone was uneasy knowing that among Greyback's crew there might be children who had no idea what they were being dragged into.

The barriers fell swiftly and spells began to zing through the air. Remus peered into the dark trees trying to gauge a number of attackers. There were at least a dozen Death Eaters, and at the front of the column was the most bizarre and terrifying sight he thought he'd ever seen. Two enormous werewolves were standing upright clinging frantically to long chains. At the end of the chains were five other werewolves, smaller, but snarling viciously, foam flecking their muzzles as they bared their teeth and clawed at the ground. The chains were attached to metal harnesses that encircled their necks and chests. The packs had talked at length about how they might handle an encounter with the child-werewolves, but seeing it in person was another matter. He wished for a moment Kieran was here. Two Alphas might have been able to cow them a little. These thoughts flashed across his mind in the span of a second before he saw the larger werewolves loose the children from their chains and they began to tear through the camp.

"Jane!," Remus yelled, "find Circe and start apparating their people out of here! Catherine! You and Xander try to take down the children. If they don't have an Alpha they should back down. Joshua, George and I will focus on the Death Eaters."

Jane nodded and ran towards the center of the camp. Catherine, already transformed, hesitated before looking at Remus and nodding solemnly. She threw back her head and released a long, strident howl before racing away. The howl wrenched him, and Remus was reminded what it meant to be part of a pack. Even though he wasn't transformed there was a stirring to follow after her and help. He heard an echoing howl from the other side of the camp and knew Xander was also on his way. "There are more with us than there are against us," he whispered to himself as he brandished his wand and ran towards the cloaked figures.

Xander, though wanting to respond to Catherine's call, saw immediately that the Death Eaters were counting on the distraction of the feral werewolves. He howled in return and feinted a move towards his pack-mate, before barreling towards four Death Eaters that had honed in on George. Slamming into one of the dark wizards, Xander knocked him to the side while his claws reached out to rip into the next one. He felt a spell hit and it knocked him backwards into a tree. George shouted something and Xander stood to his feet, shaking his head to try and clear it. He moved back behind George, who was maintaining a shield charm around them as they retreated behind some of the tents.

Joshua's wand sliced through the air as he cast spell after spell, driving the two dark wizards that had singled him out towards where he had heard Catherine's howl. One of Alec's pack-mates joined the fighting, but was quickly taken out. Joshua gritted his teeth and began casting faster, finally hitting one of the cloaked figures. The remaining Death Eater vanished and Joshua stopped himself mid spell, looking around in confusion, before turning and running towards his sister.

Catherine's gut churned with a mixture of fear and anger. There were already bodies on the ground, human and wolf. And it was frustrating and difficult to try to fight another werewolf without actually hurting it, while that werewolf was biting and clawing at you as if its life depended on it. Catherine yelped as claws raked down her leg. She grabbed the smaller wolf by the scruff of the neck and held it down against the ground, but it sensed her hesitation and continued to fight back, writhing in her jaws that were, admittedly, trying not to bite too hard. The werewolf escaped her grasp and lunged for her face. Catherine ducked away, but the smaller wolf managed to sink its teeth into her shoulder. She yelped again and jerked away, trying to dislodge it. The chains on the harness rattled and tangled around her feet as she twisted and turned trying to loose its jaws.

Racing towards them, Joshua took in the scene and decided in a split second what to do. Gripping his wand tightly and hoping it wouldn't break, he darted towards the werewolves and flung himself on top of the pair, disapparating back to the farm yard. They landed in a heap, Joshua transforming as they hit the ground. It was a snarling tangle of fur and teeth and claws as Joshua and Catherine tried to pin down the smaller wolf. The noise drew Kieran from the larger barn, and he transformed in an instant, racing up to the trio and letting out a ferocious growl. Catherine and Joshua backed away instantly leaving the smaller wolf staring up at the massive black Alpha that immediately pinned it to the ground, The young one continued to struggle, simultaneously cringing away from the Alpha and growling in rebellion. Kieran snarled furiously again and it gave in, whimpering slightly as it flattened itself against the ground.

Kieran jerked his head toward the house, Joshua and Catherine headed there quickly. They changed back at the doorway and ducked inside the house, calling for the others.

"What's going on?" Xavier asked, clattering down the steps. He went straight to Catherine and cupped her face in his hands. "Are you okay?"

Catherine nodded. "Fine," she panted.

"You don't look fine," he said, taking in her dirty, sweat-streaked face and tentatively reaching for the scraps of the sweater that still clung to her shoulder.

"I just need to grab some of the ointment," she said trying to smile as she moved past him up the stairs. "We have to get back there."

"We need help," Joshua said, also breathing hard from the scuffle. "Death Eaters…the werewolf kids…it's a mess."

The others had gathered by then, waiting for instructions, and Joshua took a deep breath. "We'll take whoever we can get, but Xavier, you stay here and help Kieran. He's outside with one of the kids we managed to get back. Still transformed. We can try to get Xander back next with another one and the three of you can keep them under control."

"Isabel took Deirdre out to dinner with Gareth, Fred, Hezekiah, and Miss Tonks," said Oscar, "but Hawthorne and Daisy and I will come." There was no hesitation as they grabbed for wands, shoes, and jackets. Catherine disapparated with Oscar, and Daisy waited for Joshua as he turned to Ellie and Artemis, standing in the front hall. Ana and Colleen still couldn't control their transformations and were in the living room, Finn transforming in and out as the three played together. "We could probably use a Healer," Joshua said.

Ellie sucked in a breath. "I…I can't," she whispered. "I can't risk getting taken again. They'll kill me this time…and Finn…I can't leave him…"

"Never mind Joshua," said Daisy, pulling on his arm. "I can help Catherine."

Joshua nodded and grabbed her hand, disapparating them away. They landed at the edge of the encampment, the fringe of the melee.

Daisy took a deep breath as she looked around. The little bit of time Joshua and Catherine had been out of the fight was enough to turn to tide in the Death Eaters' favor. She gave an involuntary shiver. This was it then.

 _Precious in the eyes of the Creator are the deaths of the anointed ones. It is a greater measure of love to lay down one's life for another._

Daisy nodded. It was hard sometimes to even understand what her visions were, let alone try to explain them to others. She'd seen this coming in a sense, a battle between werewolves, healed against feral. But she was never sure who was who in the vision, which one was left broken and bleeding on the ground as the other walked away. She did know the vision left her with a profound sense of grief, but would it be her own grief or someone else's? There was no time left to try and discern, as Daisy quickly asked the warriors to help protect them as she entered the fray.

Alec McIntyre had transformed and managed to get one other werewolf child to submit, a large front paw holding it to the ground by the neck. Joshua ran towards them, pulling the same apparation trick. With both Kieran and Xavier there, the second child was quickly kept down, using the silver chains and harness it still wore, while Joshua and Alec returned immediately to the fight.

It had been a practiced and calculated attack. The Death Eaters knew to stay behind the werewolves, letting them wreck havoc as they went, before moving in behind them to finish people off. The older werewolves were there to keep the younger ones focused on the pack and not the Death Eaters.

Remus was dueling two Death Eaters at once, and if he ever paused long enough to evaluate himself, he would probably be a little concerned about the adrenaline rush it gave him. For always cautioning Sirius about his reckless behavior, Remus had to admit there was a slight tendency of his own towards recklessness when he in was in the thick of a fight. His wand blazed as he drove the others back, looking intently for an opening in one of their shields.

So focused was he on the dark wizards, that his face blanched in surprise as much as pain when one of the older werewolves came up from behind and gripped him by the throat, flinging his body to the ground. The older werewolf simply moved on, leaving Remus for the Death Eaters to take care of and herding the younger ones toward other pack members. George let out a yell and came running, spells hurtling from his wand as fast as he could think of them. The dark wizards retreated before his onslaught, backing away toward the tree line. But they too became too focused on their opponent and missed the feral werewolf behind them, drawn by the scent of blood. The first Death Eater let out a piercing scream as the werewolf pounced, the sound dissolving into a gurgling plea when the beast bit into his neck. The other cloaked figure cast a killing curse as he stumbled back away from the scene. The werewolf's eyes widened before it fell to the ground dead.

George paused in shock at what had just happened before turning to Remus. He was alive, but blood poured from the wound on his neck, and he blinked confusedly as George knelt over him. " _Ep…pp…piskey_ ," George stammered. Nothing seemed to happen and Remus moved his hand feebly toward his neck.

"Move over," came a stern voice, and George moved instantly, relieved to see Catherine. "Now say the spell again, firmly and clearly," she directed in calm voice, as she pressed her hand at the wound to try and stop the blood flow.

" _Episkey!"_ he said again, and this time the wound seemed to shrink slightly.

"Good. Now go help somewhere else," Catherine ordered. "I've got this."

George nodded and took off in the direction the older werewolf had gone. Coming around from behind a tent, Daisy felt the attack coming mere moments before she saw it. Catherine was bent over Remus' still form, one hand pressing firmly against the flow of blood while the other dug through her first aid kit. She pulled the stopper from a vial with her teeth and dribbled it into his mouth before grabbing a roll of bandages and shoving the whole thing against his wound. Completely focused on her task, she was unaware one of the older werewolves and a cloaked wizard had zeroed in on her.

Daisy couldn't stop them both and had one second to make up her mind. Her wand flashed and the _Incarcerous_ spell wrapped thick ropes around and around the wolf, until immobilized under their weight, it fell to the ground. But that decision left the Death Eater free to advance. Daisy managed a partial shield, as she ran towards them but knew she couldn't get close enough to stop the dark wizard. In slow motion she watched his wand flash towards her sister at the same moment a blur of red-gold fur flung itself at the cloaked figure.

A snarl.

A flash.

A yelp.

A cry.

A thud.

Daisy reached them, already in tears. She dropped to her knees beside Xander, shoving away the body of the Death Eater. He had only managed a partial spell before Xander's teeth ripped out his throat, but it was enough. Daisy lifted Xander's head into her lap. "I'm so sorry!" she said softly, her tears dripping onto his forehead. "I didn't know…I couldn't see clearly…Xander, I'm so sorry!" She aimed her wand at the gaping wound in his abdomen and began casting every healing spell she could remember. Nothing seemed to help.

The werewolf blinked at her and whimpered in pain as Xander forced himself to change back. "Cat," he rasped out, before Daisy pulled a vial of a pain potion from her pocket and gave it to him.

"Shhh. Cat's fine," Daisy said. "You saved her…and Remus."

He looked relieved at that. "Xavier," he said, coughing up a little blood. "…needs her…I can't…feel anything," he whispered, and coughed again.

Hawthorne ran up to them and paled at the sight, glancing from Xander to Daisy. "I'll go get Ellie," he said, disapparating immediately.

"Can you hang on a little while?" Daisy whispered, already fearing she knew the answer. "Hawthorne is going to get Ellie. She'll know better spells. She can fix this. Just hang on…"

"Don't think…it's gonna matter…Oh…" Xander's eyes grew wide and he looked both surprised and pleased. "Craziest thing…ever seen. So many…"

"Do you see the wolves?" Daisy asked softly, barely able to get the words out as she wept, her fingers lightly stroking his forehead as a mother would her child. "Yours is right here, lying beside you…When you're ready to go…he'll…take you."

"Tell Isabel…tell…my son…tried…"

There was one final exhale. His eyes stayed open, but unseeing, and Daisy knew it was over. She looked to the warrior beside her and saw Xander standing there, his hand resting on the warrior's head, and smiling. "I'll see you again on the other side, okay?" she whispered, trying to smile at him through her tears. Xander nodded and turned to leave, he and his wolf walking just a few steps away before they faded into nothingness.

Hawthorne returned with not only Ellie, but the others who had come back from their dinner as well. They quickly scattered, eager to help their family finish the fight. Ellie rushed towards Xander, but pulled up short as she saw Daisy look up and shake her head. Kneeling down beside his still form, Ellie ran her wand over his body, just in case there was any chance. Seeing her shoulders slump in disappointment, Isabel, who was watching worriedly, flung herself with a cry over Xander's body.

"You should have seen this!" she screamed, pushing Daisy away. "Why didn't you warn him?!

"I…I didn't know who…" Daisy whispered, her tears beginning again. "Just that there was a chance…It could have been any of us…"

"Then what's the point of your gift if it doesn't save us?!" Isabel cried brokenly, weeping over Xander's body. "He was so brave…and had already lost so much…why?!"

Daisy sat there in silence, her own thoughts equally accusing. Why didn't her gift seem to help when it mattered the most? First Mamá and now Xander…who would be next? For the first time, Daisy felt the weight of crushing disappointment with the Creator and the warriors. If her family was on the right side, shouldn't they be more protected?

 _Light is in the midst of the darkness, but there are those who loved the darkness rather than the light. You were formerly in darkness, but now you walk as children of light. The One Who Sits on the Throne redeems the souls of the servants and none who take refuge at the Throne will be lost._

Meeting the solemn eyes of her wolf, Daisy turned away. The words felt empty, though she knew they were meant to comfort.

Ellie had moved to help Catherine with Remus and was preparing to apparate them back to the farm. "I'll be back as soon as I can to…to take Xander home," she said softly, resting her hand on Isabel's head.

"No, I'll do it," the blonde girl said dully. "I want to take him home."

Ellie nodded and a moment later Daisy was sitting there alone. Joshua found her some time later, her tears mingling with the spilled blood that darkened her hands and the ground.

* * *

Author's Note * Whew - that was hard to write. :( Thank you so much for reading along! I didn't disappear, I promise! I was out of town and then had a hard time getting back into the swing of things when I came home. We are getting closer to the end...


	80. Chapter 80

Chapter 80 ~ November, 1997

He'd never been great at putting words to what he thought or felt, and when he saw Isabel land in the farmyard clinging to Xander's body and weeping, it was as if his heart balled up all the conflicting feelings he had about his brother and shoved them down as far as they would go. Numb. That was easier. He remembered a counselor in a hospital in Germany saying it was normal, that sometimes the brain protected itself from trauma by closing down emotions. She had talked like it wasn't a good place to stay, but numb felt familiar, so Xavier went ahead and let it envelope him.

Isabel couldn't bring herself to say anything, but she didn't have to. Xavier had seen enough people mourn their dead — civilians in Lebanese Shiite refugee camps after the Israelis had moved through, mothers wailing for the bodies of their sons who died in those early suicide attacks, his own friends after the bombing at their barracks. It was easier to withdraw and focus on what had to be done, rather than try to come to terms with what had happened. The hardest part had been listening to Daisy's heartbroken apologies. Xavier didn't blame her, but he couldn't summon up the words of absolution either, and simply nodded an acknowledgment.

After a whispered conference, Ellie levitated Xander's body into the barn where Kieran went to work building a simple wooden coffin. Xavier remained outside with the two young werewolves they had managed to capture and keep chained up outside, Goblin-wrought silver proving strong enough to keep them contained. The numerous humans returning from the battle had riled them up considerably, but once everyone had gone into the house and Xavier transformed and paced around them a few times, they settled down. He curled up a little ways away, watching them, watching what he used to be. They tugged at their chains, alternately whimpering and snarling, snapping at one another when they ventured too close, and periodically letting out a mournful howl.

Before too long, the front door cracked open, letting a stream of golden light fall across the yard. Scenting a human, the younger wolves immediately stood to their feet and charged in the direction of the house, being instantly yanked back by the harnesses. Catherine stepped out and closed the door behind her before transforming and walking slowly over to them. She stopped in front of Xavier and looked at him before turning her head towards the barn and making a small sound. She looked to him again and back to the barn. Xavier knew what she wanted, to take his place out here so he could go see his brother, have a quiet moment to say good-bye. Xavier didn't want to do that. His heart began to thud faster and his mouth felt dry just thinking about it. He turned away from Catherine and curled up tighter. She came closer and nudged him, but he didn't look up, willing her to just leave him alone. With a sighing whine, she lay down beside him. It was a long, cold night.

The dawn broke, blinding and harsh. As the chained werewolves transformed back into two small, pain-wracked children, Catherine and Xavier changed back as well, quickly moving to unfasten the heavy metal harnesses.

"They don't seem to be seriously injured," Catherine said softly. "I think we should get them back to the house and let Ellie look at them there. It's too cold out here."

Xavier nodded and very carefully picked up the larger of the two children, a young girl. She blinked up at him and frowned. "Are you one of the baddies?" she asked in a raspy voice.

"If you mean a bad guy, no," he answered quietly. "We're the good guys."

"You talk funny," she whispered, already falling asleep against his shoulder.

Catherine scooped up the little boy beside her and then brought them into the warm, cozy house. Ellie met them at the front door, and ushered them into a small room Artemis and Hawthorne had added on off of the kitchen. Once the children had been looked over and given a strengthening potion, Catherine and Ellie helped them bathe and eat a little before tucking them into bed.

Xavier paced around the kitchen for a bit, unsure where to settle, before Jane came down to make breakfast. She pressed a cup of coffee and a muffin into his hands and urged him to sit down. Xavier thanked her and obeyed, but could only sit there staring at the items. Each time he moved to pick up the cup or take a bite his stomach would clench. Reaching once more for the cup and seeing his hand tremble, he slammed the cup down and shoved his chair back. Mumbling an apology, he fled the room and the house, taking off across the yard in long strides, his shoes crunching the frozen grass beneath his feet.

After pacing the length of the yard, he decided to see to Catherine's chores in the barn, since she was busy helping with the children. The barn was dark and cold, but warmer than outside. Xavier grabbed a bucket and stool and let himself into Mathilda's stall, murmuring softly to her. He set the stool down and ran a hand along her side before rubbing firmly behind her ears. The cow lowed and turned her head to butt him, stamping her foot impatiently. Niceties could wait. She wanted to be milked and now. Xavier sat down and rested his cheek against her warm side, the streams of milk pinging steadily as they hit the metal pail.

Xavier was hoping the mundane tasks would help him not think about anything, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. A host of memories descended upon him, a mix of fun and frustrating, happy and heartbreaking. He finished up the milking quickly and set the bucket at the back step of the house before returning to the barn to clean out Mathilda's stall. He set to it with a vengeance, finishing up covered in dust and sweat, but no calmer in his mind. Grabbing up the wire egg basket with a little more force than necessary, he turned to leave the barn and almost ran into Catherine who was standing in the doorway.

"Enough," she said softly, reaching for the basket. "You have the chance to say goodbye, even if you don't know how to say everything else."

Xavier was mortified to find his eyes welling up with tears at her gentle voice. "I…I can't," he choked out. "I spent too many years wishing he would just disappear for good, hoping he'd someday experience a fraction of the trouble he caused other people. And now…now…" Nothing else managed to make its way past the lump in his throat, and he pushed past Catherine out of the barn.

The bright morning light blinded him momentarily, and when he blinked he found himself face to face with an enormous reddish colored wolf. Xavier stumbled to a stop and stood there staring. He hadn't seen any of the warriors since he and Xander had been healed more than ten years ago.

 _Will you not be reconciled to your brother?_

"It's too late," Xavier muttered, raking a hand through his hair. "I always tried to do the right thing…the honorable thing. And Xander…Xander just went his own way, doing as he pleased with no thought to how that might affect other people. He caused our mama nothing but heartbreak, and she still…still wanted him home, wanted him back. And I was right there…but it wasn't enough."

He stopped abruptly, suddenly aware that it probably looked like he was talking to himself in the middle of the yard. Turning and stalking away from the shimmering warrior, Xavier too late realized his steps were taking him directly to the large metal barn, where his brother's body was waiting for burial. He slowed his steps, stopping outside the door to the workshop.

The wolf was once again beside him. _Your brother was once lost, but through the fires of affliction was found again. Love keeps no record of the wrongs it suffers. Will you let yourself forgive and be forgiven?_

"I can't…" Xavier began in frustration, feeling an unreasonable anger that his eyes were once again filling with tears. "He's dead," he whispered harshly. "Even if I did forgive him for everything I can't tell him, and I can't ask him to forgive me for…for what? Always being there when he wasn't? Sending bail money even when we hardly had any to spare? Helping him with some half-baked plan to steal Kieran's payroll to cover our mama's hospital bills? Begging the authorities to transfer us to another reservation after he'd almost killed me?" He was pacing in front of the doorway now, irritatedly wiping away tears.

 _When one is a child, one speaks like a child, thinks like a child, reasons like a child; when one becomes a man, one does away with childish things. Did he not learn to walk in a worthy manner, with greater humility and gentleness? Through him did you not learn to practice patience, showing tolerance for one another in love? Mortals sharpen one another, as iron sharpens iron. Even in your contention, you both stretched and learned from one another. His last choice was for you, to try and save your happiness, your future. Will you not release him from his past and let this last act stand?_

Xavier felt suddenly drained, the exhaustion of a sleepless night and emotional upheaval weighing down on him. He swallowed hard and entered the workshop, inhaling the scent of freshly carved wood. Xander lay inside the plain wood box, looking too still and peaceful. Even in his quietest moments, Xander had been brimming with energy and mischief, always looking for the next thing to do or the next teasing remark to utter. Xavier walked over to the coffin and shoved his hands in his pockets, shifting his weight from one foot to the other restlessly.

"You took everything from me," he whispered. "At least…I thought you had. All those years and you never once said you were sorry for what happened. Why was that? We left her alone…at the end Mama's dying in a hospital alone, and trying to get that money for her didn't even matter. I guess I mean…hell, I don't even know what I'm trying to say. Things should've been different. But…you did change some I guess. Finally grew up. And you saved Cat." Xavier stopped suddenly as his chest tightened and he had to take a couple slow breaths to force back the tears and speak again. "I wish I could say it wouldn't have taken something like this for me to really see you, but I don't know. I guess all I can say really is that I think I was trying to make you into something you weren't able to be. I think I needed you to step up and sorta…I don't know…take Dad's place maybe? But you couldn't, and it wasn't really right of me to expect it. So I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry I didn't just let you be yourself. And I'm grateful you saved her…I really am."

The tears began falling again, and Xavier pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes until they stopped. "I'll write to Mary Ann," he said finally, his voice thick. "I'll find a way to tell her…tell your son…that you died a hero. And you don't have to worry about there not being anybody to miss you. We're all gonna miss you."

He paused and let his hand rest on his brother's shoulder. "Semper fi," he said softly. "You were faithful to your pack, right to the end."

* * *

Life was a series of disappointments. Draco Malfoy had decided that sometime his first year. Once out of his parents' home, the world of teachers and students and prefects were less apt to fawn over him than he had expected. Older students took his gifts with a flattering reply only to turn and mock him when he wasn't around. He had collected a few people that treated him with what he considered to be the appropriate level of respect, but overall he was disappointed. Little did he realize that those early years would seem like one long holiday compared to how things were when the Dark Lord returned. Now school felt like a blessed reprieve from the terror of having Lord Voldemort actually living in his home. Here he was, seventeen, at would should have been the launching pad for the rest of his life, and all he could think about was how much easier it would be to just die. Only the thought of how that would affect his parents kept him from dwelling on the idea.

Draco moved through his day almost in a stupor. Breakfast was tasteless and sat solidly in his stomach. Classes were either too dull or too demanding. Around lunchtime he'd started to feel a strange prickling sensation in the back of his neck, as if someone were watching him. His eyes darted around the lunchroom as he tried to maintain an air of indifference. The problem with, well with life being what it was right now, was that you never knew why someone might be watching. It could be those horrid upper year Gryffindors, blaming him for something or other. It could be a couple teachers talking with each other about him. It could be the Headmaster, whom Draco still felt was somehow keeping an eye on him, though he had no idea why. It could be some younger Slytherins who felt playing up to him was a way to secure their own status in the House.

"Draco," a nasally voice whined. "Why are you so quiet this morning?"

Or it could be Pansy. Draco sighed and forced himself to focus on the girl beside him, who was sitting far too close and smelt too strongly of whatever perfume she'd doused herself in.

"Just a headache," he answered, hoping that would encourage her to limit conversation. "I didn't sleep that well last night." As he said it, he glanced up and noticed Miss Andersson looking his way. Unlike most people, who would look immediately in another direction when they'd been caught staring, her eyes continued to bore into him for a long moment before she turned to say something to Hagrid sitting beside her. So that was the source of his discomfort. Odd.

After an eternity, lunch ended and Draco joined the throng of students making their way through the halls to their next class. Seventh Year Slytherins joined the Hufflepuffs for Dark Arts, and Draco tried to simply fade into the background, taking his customary seat between Pansy and Blaise Zabini, and doodling idly on a spare scrap of parchment.

Miss Andersson entered the room briskly, her wand slamming the door shut behind her. "Today we will practice casting and blocking the _Imperious_ curse and discussing ways this curse can be put to use. This is not an opportunity for any of you to force your classmates to participate in any dangerous or embarrassing behavior." Her voice dripped with cold disdain over the few nervous laughs in the room. "I have witnessed opportunities to advance the Dark Lord's dominion be lost because of a simple lack of self control on behalf of some of his followers. For those of you who are looking to make a name for yourself in the new order, take that as a piece of free advice. Discipline will win over sadistic indulgence in the long run."

Draco frowned at that last statement and looked up to find Miss Andersson again watching him. Did she think him undisciplined or sadistic? He probably shouldn't be surprised. Aunt Bellatrix certainly fell on the sadistic side of things. He'd honestly always found it strange to think that she was his mother's sister. His mother was the embodiment of personal discipline. There was not one person on earth who probably knew what she really thought about things most of the time. His father, he supposed, treaded the line depending on the situation, but also typically relied on money and intimidation to accomplish his goals, rather than torture. With a soft curse, Draco stood from his seat. Everyone else had already found a partner and here he was engaging in some introspective nonsense because of a teacher's remark.

"Mister Malfoy, as it appears you have no partner, you can join Mister MacMillan up front."

With no attempt to hide his irritation, Draco slouched his way forward. Ernie MacMillan may have been a Hufflepuff, but he wasn't easily cowed. The two faced off and Ernie eyed Draco calculatingly.

"Worried that my family's more familiar with this spell than yours?" Draco muttered.

Ernie shrugged. "They may be more familiar with casting it, but I'm pretty sure I'm better at defending myself," he replied casually.

Annoyed, Draco flung the spell in Ernie's direction. The boy blocked it and cast it back, glaring at him. Dancing around each other for a few minutes, both attempted to take down the other. Draco blocked Ernie's spell again and had a snide comment on the tip of his tongue when he felt his whole body relax and a hazy cloud come over his mind. So this was what it felt like to be under the curse. The voices in the room grew faint except for that tosser, MacMillan, who was laughing. "Maybe you'd be better at this if you remembered to shut up once in a while," Ernie said, his voice alone echoing in Draco's ears.

"Well done, Mister MacMillan. Five points to Hufflepuff." Miss Andersson's voice came as though through a long tunnel. "Now, while Mister Malfoy is under the effect of the curse, let's discuss some practical applications."

No matter how hard he tried, Draco couldn't focus on anything except Ernie's voice. When MacMillan told him to go sit at his desk, like an obedient puppy, Draco went and sat. Some part of his brain knew he should be furious, but he couldn't even muster up enough effort to try and feel it. The class ended and MacMillan cast a _Finite Incantatum_ to end the spell. Draco instantly sprang to his feet and grabbed his books, shoving past Ernie and growling some half-hearted threat.

Spending the rest of the next two classes in a thoroughly foul mood, he was stopped in the hallway later by Miss Andersson. "Mister Malfoy, you neglected to turn in your homework today. I'm afraid I will need you to serve a detention with me this evening."

Coming to a standstill, he stared at the stiff and prim Professor. Annoyingly, she was just as tall as he was, preventing him from being able to look down at her. "Detention?" he asked petulantly, trying to remember if he'd done the homework and why he wouldn't have turned it it.

If it was possible, her demeanor cooled even further. "I was quite clear at the beginning of the year. Homework will be turned in during class, or you will receive a detention. Meet me at the entrance tonight at eight o'clock."

The facts finally clicked in his head. "But I only forgot the homework because I was under that curse!" he began to spout in disbelief. "I shouldn't get detention for the effects of a curse! Do you know who my—" his voice trailed off as he saw her eyes glitter in anticipation, daring him to push her. Yes, she was quite aware of who his father was…and how far he'd fallen from grace. And if the rumors were to be believed she was more than secure in her own position, sleeping with the Headmaster, who was well established in the Dark Lord's upper tier of servants. "I'll be there," he muttered, breaking eye contact.

The hours until detention dragged on and Draco was unable to escape from the taunting remarks regarding MacMillan besting him class. He was almost glad to leave by evening, just so he wouldn't have to endure the hours in the Slytherin common room. Tightening his scarf and coat around him, Draco met Miss Andersson at the heavy front doors and followed her meekly outside. She was absolutely silent, leading him quite deep into the Forbidden Forest.

"Just what are we doing?" he asked after a while, his face stiff and frozen in the cold night air.

"Gathering some night-blooming catchfly flowers for Hagrid."

"And where do we find the flowers?"

He heard her give a slight laugh. "Unfortunately that will be my mistake. They don't bloom at all this time of year and we will have spent an hour wandering around in the cold forest needlessly."

Draco stopped. "What do you mean?"

Miss Andersson turned to look at him. "I'm afraid we need you for a different reason tonight, Mister Malfoy."

Before Draco could fully digest the sinister implication of a statement like that, he felt a spell slam into him from behind and he hit the ground hard.

* * *

Xander was buried near Rosa. Standing and shivering slightly in the cold November afternoon, Gareth played _Drift_ Away on his guitar, and each member of the household took turns sharing their memories of the tough and amiable man. Xavier wasn't ready to share anything himself, but hearing other people's perspectives on his brother helped some of the prickly edges of his heart begin to erode.

The English pack had taken quite a hit in the attack, losing three of their number, including Alec's mate, Circe. Deirdre was still in a bit of shock from the news and from the edict that Alec had given her to stay at the farm rather than return to her pack. The Death Eaters had left behind the bodies of two of their own as well as one of the werewolf children, and not having secured a solid victory, Alec felt certain they would return to try again and wanted Deirdre to stay away. They buried the unknown werewolf with their own people, apart from the Death Eaters, a silent acknowledgment that the child was more victim than transgressor.

Daisy disappeared shortly after the funeral, and it was late that night before Joshua found her high in the branches of an oak tree, watching the snow that had just begun to fall with an empty expression. He climbed up and sat gingerly beside her, uncertain if he was welcome. She didn't tell him to leave her alone. She didn't say anything, just sat there, stiff and silent. So after a few minutes he simply shifted closer and wrapped an arm around her.

"You're freezing," he observed softly, and spoke out the warming charm she had neglected to cast for herself. After several more minutes of silence, Joshua finally began to speak, hoping his words would pierce her shell of self-condemnation. "I wish you wouldn't blame yourself for what happened," he finally said. "Sometimes life is just plain hard. And if you start looking for people to blame you'll make yourself crazy. We could blame me for not being there. We could blame Remus for not paying attention and getting hurt. We could blame George for not getting Remus out of there. We could blame Ellie for not coming to help sooner. We could blame Xavier and Cat for falling in love and making Xander think he needed to save her for his brother. Heck, we could blame Kieran for being the one to bite Xander in the first place."

Daisy sniffed and wiped at her eyes before burrowing into Joshua's side. "But why wouldn't the warriors want to always help us win?" she whispered, sounding very much like a lost little girl. "They're big and powerful and…and everywhere. They could do more."

Joshua sighed. "I think…I think life is a little like one of Gram's embroidery pieces. You know, when she'd stitch the patterns and the front would look exactly like she'd planned out, but the back would be a mess where she'd changed colors or the thread had gotten tangled up and she'd have to knot it off and start a new one? Maybe our lives are like that…sometimes what we see looks ragged and messy and like there's not a rhyme or reason to it, but then if you look at it from the other side there's a pattern and a plan. I think the warriors just have a very different perspective on our lives, even if they are there to help."

"I'm so tired," Daisy said quietly. "It's hard to stay hopeful, and I feel like everyone is always looking to me to have hope. What if we do everything we can and it's not enough? Or what if it is enough, but we lose everyone in the process? I know…I know the Creator has a plan and even if we die we'll see everyone again someday, but…but it just hurts so much in the meantime."

"I know," Joshua agreed, leaning to kiss the top of her head. "I know it does."

* * *

Groaning a little as he pushed himself up off the ground, Draco Malfoy fumbled through the fallen leaves for a moment until his hand grasped his wand. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on, or why someone would try to knock him out and then not finish him off, but staying down and waiting for another spell to hit was not an option. He cast a shield charm as he scrambled to his feet and turned to face his attackers. His head immediately started to spin and he had to concentrate to keep his eyes focused. He could scarcely make out three figures among the trees. A hiss of whispery voices reached his ears, and Miss Andersson stood off to one side looking entirely disapproving, although Draco couldn't say when he'd seen her looking any other way.

"What are you waiting for?"

"Do we need to give him a chance to fight back?"

"It's not like the book gave us any guidelines!"

"Harry, just get it over with!"

"But you shouldn't really hurt him! He doesn't know what's going on!"

Draco squinted at the figures. "Potter?" he asked incredulously. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

" _Stupefy!"_ was the only response, and Draco barely managed to block the spell, his head pounding and ears ringing from the first hit. He cast a spell of his own and the shocked voices and crack of tree branches made him think he was pretty close to the mark.

"No, you can't fight him, Ron! It has to be Harry!"

 _Flipendo! Immobulus!"_ One of those definitely hit. Draco heard Granger shriek and Weasley bellowed a curse. He darted behind a tree and tried to think through the drumming in his head. It made no sense to him why one of his teachers, who was a confirmed Death Eater, Dark Mark and all, would lead him on some wild goose chase and then stand by and do nothing while he was attacked by the Chosen One. Had she been put under the _Imperious_ curse? Had she been bribed? Was he going to be taken and held for ransom? Were they going to kill him to send some sort of message?

A spell hit the tree just above his head and Draco ducked.

"He's not bad," came a new voice.

"No, Malfoy's a decent fighter," replied Miss Andersson. "If he'd focus and quit trying to make snide remarks to his opponents in class he'd be even better."

"He gets that from his father," the new voice replied drily. Maybe this was some sort of practical exam? Maybe it wasn't Potter here at all, just someone or something bewitched to look like him. Maybe it was a Boggart. But his Boggart wouldn't look like Harry Potter, that was stupid. Ever since last summer Draco was fairly certain any Boggart he came across would look like Lord Voldemort.

" _Expelliarmus!"_

Draco felt his wand leave his hand as he too late yelled his next spell. He watched in dismay as his wand tumbled through the air and was grabbed by Potter, or the Potter lookalike, or whoever that was. Draco immediately began to back away, hands held out in surrender.

"Don't be an arse, Malfoy, we aren't going to hurt you," muttered Weasley.

"That's enough," said Miss Anderson brusquely, striding forward. "You got what you came for," she said, addressing Potter while aiming her wand at Draco. "If you hurry you can get the sword tonight and then go home. And don't ever let me hear that you're running around trying to handle things on your own again. You have a team, and it's a damn good one. Use them."

Harry frowned, but nodded. He, Weasley, and Granger turned and began to walk off into the woods. The owner of the other voice stood beside Miss Andersson and bent to quickly kiss her cheek. When he saw Draco watching he straightened up and gave him a wink. "Well met, cousin," he said with a smirk. "Still not too late to join the Black sheep and come over to the other side."

Draco blinked at him. Was that…was that Sirius Black? He did resemble Aunty Bellatrix a little. "I…I can't," he stammered. "He'd kill them…he'd kill my mother."

The man frowned. "If that's what's really stopping you we could find a way. Maybe we could set up a safe house."

"Sirius, enough," said Miss Andersson, sounding tired. "Go. He won't remember any of this happened. And the school is safer for him than being at home."

Sirius frowned again, but nodded and kissed her once more before transforming into a large black dog and bounding through the trees after Harry Potter.

Miss Anderson was removing something from the pocket of her cloak that looked like a small bird cage. "Draco will you hold this for me?" she asked as she handed him the cage. Inside sat a small blue-green finch with an orange beak. Miss Andersson fished into the pocket of her cloak again and pulled out something that she proceeded to place into her ears. "Now," she said gesturing toward the cage. "This is a Lethen Finch. It's named after one of the rivers that flows through the underworld in Greek mythology. This river induced forgetfulness or oblivion in the person who passed through it. When I remove the silencing spell from the cage and you hear the bird it will cause you forget this last hour. I'm sorry your wand was taken. I know what it's like to lose your first wand and have to start with a new one, but it can't be helped. We must all make sacrifices for the greater good. At least, that's what the Dark Lord tells us, isn't it?"

By now Draco was pretty sure Miss Andersson was a traitor, Dark Mark or no, and more than that, skilled enough to pull the wool over Professor Snape's eyes. If she could do all that, maybe she could help his family get away from Voldemort. Just as he opened his mouth to ask, the little bird in the cage that he'd quite forgotten he was holding, began to sing. It was a light, squeaky sounding chirp, and Draco found himself drawn to it, the sound washing over him and settling deep into his mind.

"I must apologize, Mister Malfoy. Apparently I misunderstood Hagrid. There aren't any plants I see that are like he described, and we've spent long enough wandering around this cold forest."

Draco automatically turned to follow her, grumbling under his breath about his wasted evening. It wasn't until he was getting ready for bed that he realized his wand was no longer in his cloak pocket. He dug through everything, cursing and tearing up the room, but it was no use. If he dropped it somewhere out in the Forbidden Forest he'd never see it again. He couldn't even remember what section they'd gone to looking for that stupid plant. Well that was just the perfect way to finish off a lousy day, Draco thought to himself as he climbed into bed. Life was nothing but one disappointment after another.

* * *

So poor Daisy is having a crisis of faith, Harry is now the master of the Elder Wand, and the Golden Trio are off to get a sword. Sword? What sword? And where could it be? What else is the author going to do to completely alter the story line? Stay tuned! Thanks so much for reading! I really appreciate you sticking with the story this far!


	81. Chapter 81

Chapter 81 ~ December, 1997

The London night was bitterly cold, and Nicky Russo paused as he climbed off the bus in front of his uncle's karaoke bar, wishing he'd grabbed a scarf. It was not going to be fun walking all the way home tonight after closing when the busses weren't running. His aunt wasn't happy about him taking over so many of the late night shifts, but he'd gotten some solo gigs around town, and that only left him time to work closings.

Grabbing the handle of his guitar case in one hand, Nick walked toward the door of the club just as his uncle barreled through, looking decidedly grim. He blinked when he saw Nick standing there, and his shoulders slumped a little in relief. "Nicky, thank goodness. Your friend is back here again and the new guy didn't know to keep an eye on her. She's completely plastered. I've called home to see if your aunt might now how to contact her people. She always says they shouldn't travel their normal way if they're drunk…might get splintered or something."

Nick sighed and hefted the guitar case. Isabel had shown up one night a couple weeks earlier. eyes red and swollen and demanding something to help her forget. The bartender had given her a couple drinks before Nick had shown up and been able to talk her down a little. But the girl couldn't hold her liquor at all, and somewhere in the midst of her garbled and tearful explanations of warriors and werewolves and Death Eaters, Nick had caught on to far more than she probably realized.

"I'll take her back to our house," Nick finally said. "Let her sober up and see if Aunt Val has some ideas, or wait until she can make it home by morning. Has she said too much?"

"Not anything more about," his uncle hesitated and lowered his voice, "about You-Know-Who. It was mostly about her sister and some other bloke."

"At least she didn't bring up werewolves again. That would have drawn way too much attention. I'll be back once I get her settled."

Inside the bar, Nick left his guitar in the office and came out to find the blonde girl slumped over the bar top, sniffling back tears. "Hiya, Izzy," Nick said softly. "Having a hard night?"

"I think part of it's my fault," she muttered, swiping at her running nose with the back of her hand. "I wanted revenge, and now they're dead."

"Easy there, love. We can't talk about all this here. Why do you come with me and we'll find you some coffee and figure out how to get you home."

"Home," Isabel muttered. "I don't even know where that is anymore."

The door to the club banged open and a tall redhead with a worried look on his face scanned over the room until he landed on the pair of them at the bar and his eyes narrowed in a fierce scowl. Nick sat back, putting some space between himself and Isabel, and watched the young man warily.

"Izzy we've been looking all over for you," he said softly, ignoring Nick and leaning close to Isabel, reaching out to tenderly tuck her hair behind her ear. "This has to stop."

Isabel pulled away from him and the red head dropped his hand, taking a seat on the barstool beside her. "Isabel, look at me, please. I know it hurts, but you can't try to manage it like this. Please come home."

"I don't have a home," she snapped. "I want to go back to New York, before all this happened. I want my river and my forest. I want my family back the way it was."

"Look, I wish some things could go back the way they used to be too. I lost my flat and my shop, I can't stay at my folks' house—"

"But your family's still alive!" Isabel interrupted, raising her voice. "I can rail against Daisy all I want, but she only wanted to come and help. I was the one that wanted to fight. I wanted to get back at them for what they did to us…"

Nicky glanced around the room, hoping they weren't drawing any attention. The bar wasn't really busy enough for an argument to be overlooked. "We need to take this discussion somewhere else," he said quietly.

The red head shot him an irritated glance and placed his hand on the small of Isabel's back to help encourage her off of the bar stool, but she jerked away from his touch. "Leave me alone, George! I don't want to go back!"

"All right, that's enough," said Nick firmly, standing to his feet.

George stood as well, misreading his intentions. "Look, mate, you don't really know what's going on here. I'm not trying to get her to do anything…nefarious. Her dad and brothers are out looking for her, and I just want to get her home."

Nick huffed an unamused laugh. "I know more than you realize. She's been in here a few times the last couple weeks and talks way too much when she's drunk." He took a step away and motioned for George to come closer. "You're just lucky my aunt's a witch and we're already on the wrong side because she married a Muggle," he said in a low voice. "Now let me see if I can get her to come to our place and you can follow."

"Did…did you know we were all…" George's voice trailed off as he stared in shock

"Not until she started in the first time about What's-His-Name, radio shows, and werewolves," said Nick dryly.

George nodded and moved down the bar, shoving his hands in his pockets and watching them out of the corner of his eye as Nick sat down again beside Isabel. "Come on, love. Let's you and me take a walk and clear your head a bit."

Isabel nodded and slowly stood to her feet. "Do you think George is mad at me?" she muttered, wiping at her eyes with a tissue.

"Not a bit," said Nick reassuringly. "Come on now."

He lead a slightly unsteady Isabel out of the club and to the bus stop. The chill wind seemed to start sobering her up and Isabel stayed quiet on the ride, not even aware George had followed them. They arrived at a row of houses on Holmleigh Road and Nick showed them in to one, tossing coats on a bench by the front door and calling for his Aunt Val.

As he ushered them into the bright, cozy kitchen, and left to find his aunt, Isabel finally noticed George was there, and looked surprised and then embarrassed. "You didn't need to follow me. I didn't go with Nick because I…I wasn't going to…Nothing was going to happen…"

George smiled at her and shook his head. "You aren't exactly thinking clearly right now. If I let you out of my sight, your brothers would serve me up on a platter. It's entirely a matter of self-preservation. And I also happen to be crazy about you, and would have challenged him to a duel before I let you just walk away."

"Well, I'm personally glad it didn't come to that," announced a short, round woman standing in the kitchen doorway. Her face creased in a smile as she came in, bustling over to the table. "Now, Nicky, you make some coffee while I get to know your friends. There's some cream cakes in the fridge too. I'm Valerie Russo, but you can call me Val. Surprised as anything we were to find out you lot were on our side. Been listening to your radio broadcasts too. Nicky told my boy you were an excellent musician, love," she beamed, patting Isabel on the arm. "Don't know that I think a werewolf name is good for a band, though. Nasty, violent creatures they are. I had a case not too long ago where I suspected werewolves were involved. Can't do anything about it of course. Who can you tell when you think a werewolf abducted a Muggle girl from her foster carers? Before I would have told the Ministry, but like as not they'd applaud the effort nowadays."

"Aunt Val's a social worker," explained Nick from where he stood spooning out instant coffee and pouring out the hot water. "A Muggle one. She doesn't move much in wizarding circles these days."

"Not all werewolves are like you think," said Isabel, frowning at the woman. "There's a group fighting against You-Know-Who, and they're heroes. My mother died fighting him, my friends…" her voice trailed off as she began to cry, and George shifted his chair closer, placing his arm around her shoulder.

"Well, I won't belittle that sacrifice, to be sure," said Val. "Gives us a lot of hope what you talk about on the radio. I told my boy he should give you an audition when this is all over, let you tour with him."

"Who's your son?" asked George curiously, and Nick paused in his task to watch Isabel, a small smile on his face.

"Alessandro Russo," said Val proudly. "My Alex. He plays bass for—"

"The Weird Sisters," finished Isabel in a whisper, her eyes growing wide. She turned and looked at Nick in amazement. "Your cousin plays with The Weird Sisters?! Why in the world aren't you playing with him?" she asked in shock.

Nick looked a little sheepish. "I wanted to make it on my own. I'm doing okay, too. Since that first night you played with us I started to loosen up, got some solo gigs around town, mostly having fun, getting paid a little, trying not to take it too seriously."

"Now, you let me tell you something," said Val, turning solemnly to the blonde girl at her kitchen table. "You can't drink your troubles away. I see it all the time, and it doesn't help. It just adds on a whole host of new problems. This war is a messy, dark business. The last one was too. That's how my Nicky lost his mum and dad." She frowned down at the table, tapping on the side of her coffee mug. "Let yourself grieve, child. Don't try to cover it up with alcohol or anger. I've seen too many families torn apart by that. Don't push people away, because they're probably grieving too. 'Bear one another's burdens.' I saw that on a plaque in one of my foster carers' homes. Good advice isn't it? You help take care of people when they're in a dark place, and you let them take care of you too."

Isabel nodded slowly. "My Grams used to say we were privileged to be there for people on the worst days of their lives. I didn't think about people being there for me on my worst days. You're right, Mrs. Russo. I guess I'm not doing anyone any good acting like this. I just feel so sad and angry and scared. I didn't want to feel that anymore."

"You should feel sad and angry and scared. We all feel that way these days. But don't let those feelings dictate your decisions. I could hide here in my house and hope bad things won't happen, or I can go out there and do my job, because there's a whole bunch of kids that need looking after. I don't mean shove down all your feelings and ignore them. Take the moments to cry, yell if you want to, but don't give up. Don't try to stop feeling. Just know that other people are feeling too."

Isabel nodded again, sniffing and wiping the last tears from her eyes. "I'll try," she said, sounding like a scared little girl. She turned and looked at George. "I think I'm ready to go home now."

* * *

Sirius was beginning to wish he'd snuck a bottle of Firewhiskey into his bag. How could three people who claimed to be best friends argue so much? Harry kept running his hands through his hair in frustration until it looked like he'd been electrocuted. Hermione chewed on her bottom lip until it was raw, and poor Ron swung back and forth on whom he agreed with until the other two were fed up. Over the last two weeks Sirius had taken to spending more time in Padfoot form to avoid getting entangled in the discussions.

Lina had informed them that Voldemort requested the Sword of Gryffindor be placed in the Lestrange vault for safekeeping, so Severus had made a copy, given the copy to Bellatrix and hidden the original. In what was either a stroke of brilliance or insanity, the sword had been placed in the top of the memorial to Godric Gryffindor in the cemetery at Godric's Hollow, but it could only be seen if one already knew it was there. That was the easy part. What Lina either hadn't known or forgot to mention was that no matter how they pulled and tugged and cast spells at it, the sword wouldn't budge.

"Argh, there's nothing here that I haven't already read ten times! I'm missing it somehow! I have to be!" Hermione very uncharacteristically threw the book away from her and it skidded across the floor, barely missing Padfoot's nose where he was stretched out, almost asleep. Their little group was also hiding in plain sight, camping in the ruins of the Potter's house, enveloped with shield charms. "Oh, sorry, Padfoot," Hermione breathed out, jumping up to retrieve the book. "I'm just so frustrated."

Sitting cross-legged near Sirius, Hermione scratched him behind the ears absentmindedly as she flipped back through the book. It was well past midnight and the pair of them huddled near a few of Hermione's bluebell flames, contained in glass jars, while Ron and Harry were out giving another go at the retrieving the sword. "This book has the most information, but it's still not specific about how the sword works," she said, half to herself and half to the large dog. "It says the sword was goblin-made, blah, blah, blah…supposedly Godric Gryffindor had it patterned after Ex Calibur, that part's interesting, listen, 'Most people think the legendary King Arthur had been something of an idol for the wizard as a boy, though Gryffindor himself later denied this. It has been rumored that only a student who truly exemplified Gryffindor traits would be capable of wielding the weapon. This would seem to lend credence to the story that Godric was influenced by the old legends, and that in true Arthurian fashion, whoso pulleth out this sword is rightwise worthy of Gryffindor House.'" Hermione finished the paragraph and looked thoughtful. "Dumbledore said only a true Gryffindor could have made the sword appear in the Sorting Hat like it did for Harry in the Chamber of Secrets. Now it's become our own Sword in the Stone. But if Harry was worthy enough in the chamber to take the sword, why can't he take it now? Surely anyone who faced off against a basilisk would be deemed worthy for life. Really, after what we've experienced I think we're all worthy of our House."

Her voice trailed off and she sat there quite still and quiet for a long while, her fingers still working over Sirius' head and ears, and he was finding it difficult to stay awake. "THAT'S IT!" Hermione suddenly yelled, and Sirius startled so violently he knocked over the jars of flame. Hermione fumbled for her wand and quickly extinguished the fire that had spilled and begun to creep along the rug on the floor. "Sorry for startling you," she said sheepishly to Sirius who had transformed back and was scrubbing a hand over his face.

"It's fine. I was just getting ready to set the place on fire anyway," he replied. "Now," he added around a huge yawn, "what's so exciting? And where's the tea bags got to?" He began rummaging around in his bag and pulled out a crumpled packet, dropped two tea bags into two mugs and filled up their small kettle from his wand.

"It's the part about being a worthy Gryffindor," said Hermione, her eyes glittering with excitement. "The sword came to Harry when he was fighting the basilisk. What if it only allows you to use it when you're in danger and capable of showing your worth?"

Sirius started to respond when Harry and Ron appeared, shedding coats and collapsing tiredly onto their cots. "Nothing new," said Ron, yawning.

"But there was an old lady that passed by when we were walking toward the memorial. She didn't do anything, or even really pay attention to us, but it seemed odd for an old lady to be out so late," offered Harry, gratefully accepting the cup of tea Sirius passed over to him.

"Hermione found something," said Sirius, handing Ron the other cup and digging around for two more.

"Knew she would," said Ron, smiling at her.

Hermione bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, clasping her hands together. "I think you have to be in danger to get the sword," she said. "Harry, Dumbledore told you that only a worthy Gryffindor would be able to pull the sword out of the Sorting Hat. This book says the same thing. Only we've been treating it like once worthy, always worthy. Instead, I think we're only going to be able to get it when we need it. So unless we're there and in danger somehow the sword will stay put."

"So we'll have to engineer some dangerous situation in order to get it?" asked Harry. "Maybe Padfoot could pretend to attack you."

Ron snorted. "I bet if the sword knows enough to know if we're in danger it'll know if the danger's faked. I think a better question might be why it let Snape handle it while he was making the copy if it's only supposed to go to a worthy Gryffindor?"

Harry let out a tired laugh and crawled under the sleeping bag on his cot. "Maybe Snape was missorted," he offered sarcastically.

Ron laughed as well and crawled into his own sleeping bag, but Hermione was frowning and Sirius caught her eye as he took a sip of his tea, raising an eyebrow at her. "If Professor Snape's really been undercover with Death Eaters this whole time," she said slowly, "maybe the sword knows who's worthy regardless of which House they're in."

* * *

Ellie stood stiffly by the fireplace, waiting for Kieran. After a moment she decided to sit in one of the plush armchairs so he couldn't tower over her. But the armchair…was that too casual? Ellie picked nervously at a piece of fluff on her jumper. She needed him to take her seriously. Why was she even nervous about this? Nothing in his behavior ever indicated he was anything like Fenrir Greyback as an Alpha. But then again, no one had suggested taking away some of his pack before either. The door to the living room swung open and Ellie jumped to her feet, her hands washing over each other agitatedly.

"What's wrong?" Kieran asked, watching her in concern. "Jane said you wanted to talk to me about something?"

Ellie opened and closed her mouth, unable to answer for a moment. "Why should anything be wrong?" she finally asked in a ridiculously breathy voice.

His brows went up in surprise. "Well you seem to spend quite a bit of effort trying to avoid me, so for you to actually want to talk with me about something…I just figured it was 'cause something was wrong." He came further into the room and sat at one end of the sofa, watching her uncertainly.

Ellie swallowed hard. "It's about Finn—" she finally began.

The door swung open again suddenly and Ellie jumped in surprise. The very same little boy darted in past her and up to Kieran. "Daddy, I wan' to go to camping today!"

An extremely awkward silence fell in the room and Kieran reached out to tousle the boy's hair. "Not today, Buddy. But maybe next weekend, okay? Listen, your mama and I need to talk for a minute. Why don't you go ask Jane if her cookies are ready. She might need a taste-tester."

Ellie wanted to say something, anything in that moment to assert herself as the parent, but she just bit her lip and sat down on the edge of the armchair, crossing her arms over her chest. Kieran glanced at her and seemed to realize her discomfort. "Go check with your mama and see if she says it's okay," he added, leaning back against the sofa, as though trying to physically distance himself from Finn.

The eager little boy turned to her with a charming smile and a spark in his brown eyes. Ellie felt her heart clench. Little boy — so different to the toddler she'd left behind. She couldn't remember the whole second half of his life. And by all evidence, this group of people had become his family. What right did she have to take him away? And then the night of the last full moon rose up before her — the tension as Joshua and Catherine had come to get help; the sound of howls and snarls as Kieran tried to keep the feral children under control; Hawthorne's panicked request for help; Remus, Xander, everyone really, returning covered in blood. And when things were finally quiet in the house, Ellie had gone looking for Finn. She finally found him in the living room with Colleen and Ana. Three exhausted werewolf pups sleeping in heap on the floor, a tawny mountain lion curled around them.

"The last I checked, Jane was cutting out the dough like snowflakes. Maybe she needs some help," Ellie said with an attempt at a smile. Finn grinned at her and dashed from the room, yelling for Jane. Kieran stood and went to close the door and returned to his seat on the sofa. The silence stretched between them.

"I tried," Kieran finally began, "to tell him to just call me Kieran, but…it seemed a little harsh to correct him every time. I don't want you to feel weird about it now, but you didn't…before…" his voice trailed off.

Ellie sighed. It was never going to be easy, so better to just get it over with. "I want to take Finn away from here," she said abruptly. "All of them, actually, the children. This isn't a good environment for them… people constantly leaving to fight, never knowing who will come back wounded or dead. They feel all the tension and after what they've been through I think they need a quiet, normal place to live."

His presence suddenly filled the room and Ellie fought the desire to make herself as small and nonthreatening as possible. Maybe during the time she didn't remember she'd grown accustomed to the strange way his…his "Alpha-ness" seemed to take over at times, but it was powerful and intimidating. And probably good, she suddenly realized, good that he took the welfare of his pack that seriously. That was the difference, she reminded herself. Greyback saw and used his status as Alpha to control and dominate others. Kieran wore the position like a cloak of responsibility, to care for the people in his charge. Kieran suddenly looked at her, his dark eyes boring into her own, and she was surprised by a revelation — he was fighting with himself. He wanted everyone close by and under his care, but he also recognized the truth of her statement.

Kieran smiled at her, all at once sad, warm, and far too familiar, making her look away, blushing. "I think we have a solution to this," he said softly.

* * *

Severus swung his legs out of bed and rubbed his hand absentmindedly over his Dark Mark. Dressing quickly, he was fastening the last button on his shirt when a chill fell over the room. Looking around in annoyance, he saw the faint outline of the Bloody Baron's ghost seeping his way in from the door of the office to his bedroom.

"Highly inappropriate, Baron," he said sternly, flinging the door open and sweeping through him. The house elves had already left a tea tray on his desk, and he poured a cup, gratefully pressing his hands against the warmth. "You could at least have waited until I was out of the bedroom."

"Byrhtnoth," he muttered, looking uncomfortable as he remained hovering in the doorway.

"What?" Severus asked sharply.

"My name. It's Byrhtnoth. I was made a Baron under King Æthelred II. That was back before the Muggles started turning against magic." If he'd been alive, he would have been pacing, but as it was, he merely floated a few feet in one direction before turning back and going the other way.

"Well what do you want? Baron…Byrhtnoth?" he asked, hesitating over the name.

"Redemption."

Severus wasn't sure whether to laugh or scream at the ghost in derision. Why did people insist on coming to him?! He was tempted to fling a curse at the specter's head even knowing it was pointless. "What in Salazar's name made you think I could help you with that?" he asked, sinking down into a chair.

The Baron made a strange face. "I knew Salazar. It seems odd to hear his name as an oath." Then he let out a sigh. "I have had a thousand years to regret my decisions, trapped in this non-life while the world moved on. My story faded into legend and rumors in less than a hundred years. But I have not faded. The consequences for my actions have not faded. I would…I would like an opportunity to make amends. I've watched you over the years. Would you not go to any lengths to help the woman you loved?"

Snape's expression melted into an impassive mask. "I'm sure you've watched numerous people with regrets over the years. Understanding what I may feel in no way means I am in a position to advise. Everyone knows your story. Helena ran away with her mother's diadem. Rowena Ravenclaw sent you after her. You loved her, she wouldn't have you. Now you're both dead. If you're looking for sympathy you shan't find any with me. You murdered Helena. Because of her fear and anger over her death the Grey Lady is trapped here the same way you are."

"Precisely!" the Baron said loudly, rushing forward until he towered over the Headmaster, the chilled air surrounding him grew even colder. "Precisely," he repeated, pulling back some. "I overheard one of the paintings talking about your…your mistress. They said she'd been asking questions. Questions about Rowena's diadem."

Severus was instantly on his guard at the change in subject. It wouldn't take anything at all for the ghost or paintings to let that information slip to a Slytherin that might find it worth passing on to their parents. "Miss Andersson has not been at Hogwarts long. She is naturally curious about the school's history. What does that have to do with your so-called desire for redemption?"

The Baron was again watching him intently. "As I have said. I watched you over the years. If your mistress, if that's what she really is, is looking for the diadem I would like to help her. Perhaps if we find it, it will be a step towards Helena forgiving me."

"I do not see why you should think Miss Andersson would be looking for an artifact that has been lost for centuries she's only just heard of," Severus said cautiously, ignoring the remark about whether or not Lina was in fact his lover.

"That is beside the point. My concern is that I believe finding it will help Helena. Not long ago she thought she had found a friend in one of the students. She was lonely after so many years, and over and over again tried to reach out to students only to be rebuffed. But once…once she thought she had a friend. I do not know the details of what happened, only that this boy betrayed her, and she became completely withdrawn. But now…She has been disquieted as of late, coming down from Ravenclaw Tower and wandering the corridors at night. I think the memories of this friendship have disturbed her."

Severus closed his eyes wearily. "Forgive my skepticism, but I find it hard to imagine that a schoolboy could wreck much havoc on a thousand-year-old ghost. And why is there such urgency for you after all this time?"

"Because of the resurfacing of this traitorous student," the ghost replied as if that should have been obvious. "I watched Tom Riddle the years he was a student here, the same way I keep watch over all the Slytherins. He was insatiably curious about everything to do with magic, having grown up with Muggles, and at the time I was glad he sought us out. He really seemed to listen to our stories, empathize with our lot. It isn't easy being a ghost, you know," the Baron's voice growing faint, as though he were only speaking to himself. "Most people think it rather quiet and peaceful, but it isn't. The Others are always there, whispering at you all the time. Some calling for revenge. Some calling for repentance." He shook his head mournfully, as though just remembering where he was.

Snape was very, very still, his dark hooded eyes staring unblinkingly at the translucent medieval figure. "The Dark Lord sought out the friendship of the Grey Lady?" he asked, almost in a whisper. "But this isn't really about her, is it? This is about you. Which is it you have decided on? Revenge or repentance?"

The Baron nodded, studying him cagily. "As you say, I have seen numerous people with regrets over the years," he repeated. "But not one willing to go to the lengths you have to make amends. Certainly not a member of Salazar's House. Perhaps revenge is my path to repentance. Perhaps it is yours. This woman, Miss Andersson, she could help. She would not refuse anything you ask of her…even if it's not because she is your lover."

With that parting shot the ghost melted away through the wall and Severus was left staring ahead blankly, wondering whether his façade had been as successful as he'd always assumed.

* * *

With everyone gathered around the large kitchen table, Kieran cleared his throat and tapped the side of his water glass with a knife. "We need to have a brief pack meeting," he announced. "Ellie has expressed some concern about keeping the kids here when things are so uncertain. And I have to say I agree with her. It's difficult for us to maintain a calm and stable home life when we aren't sure who might not come home each night. We signed up for it, and it's still not easy. I've spoken with Matt Roberts, and he and his family are willing to let Ellie take Finn, Colleen, Gemma and Cadmus to stay with them."

"No!" exclaimed Gemma suddenly, and then looked surprised that she had spoken aloud. "I just…I just got here. I want to stay. I…I want to learn how to be a werewolf…a proper one, like you lot."

"I can go with them," added Deirdre quietly. "I can't go home, not yet anyway. And I'd like a chance to…to get away and think some things through. So I could help them, you know, learn things. How to use the transformation. And I could be sort of, on call, you know if you really needed an extra set of teeth."

Kieran smiled at her. "That's a generous offer. You're welcome to stay wherever you choose. I know Alec wants you to be comfortable."

"But is that entirely safe?" asked Remus. "Ellie out there alone with the children and Muggles? Not because she's a woman," he added hastily, "but because she hasn't trained to fight. I think a magic user ought to be there as well that has been trained in defense."

Kieran caught Oscar's eye, and the older man nodded. "That brings us to the next point, actually," said Kieran. "Whoever joins them will be taken out of the fighting rotations. It wouldn't help the kids to have a more stable home life if they're worried about the adults they are with going out to fight and maybe not coming home. And so Gareth will be going with them."

"What!? Why?!" Gareth sputtered from the other end of the table, almost knocking over his glass. "I mean…I'll do whatever I need to do, obviously, but…it doesn't seem fair to not fight with you…"

Kieran grew very still and the weight of his authority filled the room. "This decision has not been made lightly. Before Ellie even brought it up, Oscar and I had been discussing the possibility of removing you. You will be the next Alpha, and this will be an opportunity for you to learn some of the ropes. You are also due to inherit the majority share of Oscar's corporation, and if you are killed in a fight that would greatly hamper the progress he's made secretly forcing his less savory relatives out of the picture."

Gareth glanced around at his siblings, looking for some backup. Surely they didn't want this? For him to stay safe while they continued risking their lives? Catherine offered him an encouraging smile. Joshua gazed at him with his dark, cryptic eyes for a long moment and then nodded. Isabel wasn't looking at him at all, but poking viciously at the food still on her plate and staring almost angrily at Daisy, who had fixed her gaze on the table top, looking red-eyed and miserable.

"Has Daisy…seen something?" Gareth asked hesitantly, fiddling with the edge of his napkin. "Has she seen a scenario where I die? Because if that's the way it is, trying to move me out of the picture won't really help, will it? When it's my time, it's my time. There's nothing to do about it."

" _Mi hijo_ ," said Oscar gently, "we have taken your sister's gift into account. And both the Seer and our Alpha, and your _papá_ , feel this is the right course of action."

Kieran pushed back his chair and came around behind Gareth's seat, resting his hands on the young man's shoulders. "So I impart to you all I have learned as head of this pack. I impart the authority to lead and protect, to serve those under your care."

Tears swam in his eyes as Gareth felt a supernatural weight rest on his shoulders, as if he'd been draped with a heavy cloak. He blinked a few times to clear the tears, and found himself face to face with an enormous golden wolf.

 _No man will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous. Do not tremble or be dismayed, for you are a son of The One Who Sits on the Throne, and the host of warriors is with you wherever you go._

Overwhelmed and a little shaky, Gareth reached for his water glass as the golden wolf faded away. However he might have expected his day to go, it certainly hadn't included anything like this.

* * *

Bill Weasley stretched, standing from his desk, and gathering up his things to head home for the day. He sure missed being out in the field, he thought, as he walked up to the main floor to meet Fleur. Maybe when this war was over he and Fleur could get reassigned somewhere on the continent, or overseas. Somewhere exotic.

A slight commotion near the lift drew his attention. He sucked in a breath as Bellatrix Lestrange stepped out of the gilded cage, her raspy voice uttering curses as she blasted a goblin out of her path. "Who was the last to enter my vault!" she shrieked.

Fleur came up beside Bill as a clearly terrified Ragnar approached her. "I opened it for a curse breaker last month as you requested, Madame Lestrange," he croaked with a deep bow. "No one has been in there since."

"I didn't authorize that!" she screamed hoarsely, pointing her wand at him.

"Mm…maybe you'd like to check the paperwork," another goblin offered, waving a piece of parchment.

"I don't need to see the bloody paperwork!" Bellatrix screamed, and fired off a killing curse, the goblin dropping dead at her feet.

"Time to go," muttered Bill, grabbing Fleur's arm and pulling her toward the front doors. "I think she knows the cup is missing."

He and Fleur made it out the doors and disapparated as an explosion rocked the lobby of the bank.

* * *

** My apologies that the updates have not been weekly. Busy time of year! Rest assured that I have it outlined through to the end and I am plugging away at it. Thank you so much for reading!


	82. Chapter 82

Chapter 82 ~ December, 1997

Severus watched through the window as the group approached, a weight of foreboding settling in his chest. Over four months and the Dark Lord had not once felt it necessary to appear onsite at the school. Until today. Black robes whirled around him as Severus turned and left his office, descending quickly to the main entrance.

"Where is she?!" shrieked Bellatrix as soon as she stepped foot into the castle, her voice resounding off the stone walls.

"My Lord," said Severus with a bow towards Voldemort, ignoring Bellatrix completely. "To what do I owe this unexpected visit? I sincerely hope my efforts with the school have met with your approval."

"Ah, Severus," Voldemort responded in an oddly high-pitched and breathy voice. "I have only heard positive things in regard to your managing the students. All pure-bloods gathered under one roof, educated in the knowledge of the deeper and darker things of our world…groomed to take their place in the ranks of my eternal reign. It is a glorious image, is it not?"

Snape acknowledged the speech with what he hoped passed as a gratified nod, well aware that flowery speeches were frequently followed by a sharp rebuke.

"Alas," sighed Voldemort, and Severus braced himself. "Bellatrix has come to me with some highly disturbing news regarding your staff. I will withhold judgement of course until we have questioned you both, but I did expect more, Severus, I really did. It seems wholly unlike you to allow your reasoning to be subverted by the baser elements."

"My Lord, I am afraid I'm quite at a loss," Snape began, and Bellatrix swooped down at him like a vengeful harpy.

"Traitor!" she screamed into his face. "That tart of yours helped a Weasley break into my vault! What have you done with it?!"

Severus couldn't mask his first flash of emotion, and later was grateful it was astonishment and not fear. He could feel Voldemort there, at the edges of his mind, watching his reactions, waiting for a sign of weakness. "My Lord?" he questioned, infuriating Bellatrix further by ignoring her and addressing Voldemort.

Voldemort studied him intently for a moment, seeing only what Snape allowed him to see before turning slightly toward his lieutenant. "There. I told you I had the utmost confidence in Severus," he remarked in a chiding tone. "He has, unwisely I might add, allowed himself to be swept away by the pleasures of the flesh. But I find no deceit in him. Clearly Miss Andersson is quite the femme fatale. Pity she set herself against me. Now," he added, turning back to Snape and speaking in a bizarrely cheerful voice, "where might we find her?"

"She is teaching at the moment," answered Snape.

"Fetch her," Voldemort said with a snap of his fingers, and Bellatrix hurried off with a gleeful cackle. "No protestations of her innocence, Severus? Had you suspected something yourself?"

"No, my Lord," replied Severus slowly. "I suspected nothing. If Miss Andersson is involved with aiding our enemies in any way, that choice is unconscionable, and a grievous betrayal."

"Is she frequently away from the school? Could there be other encounters of which you are unaware?"

"It would surprise me greatly. We are not often absent from one another. The…pleasures of the flesh, as you so aptly put it," Snape said, letting his voice carry all the fury he felt in the moment, knowing Voldemort would think it directed at his supposed duplicitous lover.

"Her treachery is, unfortunately, confirmed by the man who sold her the item listed on the paperwork at Gringotts. It appears she arranged for an object to be deposited in the Lestrange vault, giving our enemies an opportunity to remove something that is of great value to me."

Again, Severus felt the spell probing at the barriers in his mind, searching out any chinks. Deep in the pit of his soul, an anguished cry threatened to break free, but outwardly he maintained his frozen mask. It took all his years of control to not unleash his fury and frustration and heartbreak on the snake-like man in front of him. Lina would die today, and the weight of Severus' guilt would finally drown him. "I can only offer my most humble apologies, My Lord. I find myself astounded at this news and furious with myself for allowing my emotions to cloud my judgement."

Bellatrix appeared a moment later, one hand gripping the back of Lina's neck, while the other pointed a wand at her throat. A manic smile showed off her broken teeth. These were the moments Bellatrix lived for, and Severus' stomach twisted.

"My Lord," Severus said, as he looked over the red-haired woman with an air of calculation, "Inasmuch as you have been betrayed by this treacherous creature, I have also been used callously for her schemes. I would ask that you allow me to extract my vengeance on her personally."

"But My Lord!" protested Bellatrix, "It was my vault that was compromised. I should take care of her!"

Voldemort chuckled, watching Lina's impassive face curiously. "I appreciate your zeal, Bellatrix, but I agree that Severus has suffered the greater wrong. Now, Miss Andersson, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"I don't know what any of you are talking about,'" she announced calmly. "I'm loyal only to you, My Lord."

A pale, claw-like hand slapped her face, leaving angry red marks across her cheek. "Now, now," Voldemort tutted condescendingly, "no more lies. I see it quite plainly in your mind. You purchased a gold compact that turned out to be far too easy to trace. The question is why?"

There was a pause, and Severus could see Voldemort poking at her mind, and Lina very carefully only showing him specific moments, a sheen of sweat on her forehead from the effort. "Well, well, well," murmured Voldemort delightedly. "Oh this is almost entertaining! My poor, cuckolded friend," he said, turning to Snape. "It would appear that you have been sadly misused. Our erstwhile disciple has, this whole time, been involved with none other than Sirius Black."

"What?!" screeched Bellatrix, jerking Lina's head back.

"Yes. The diseased branches on your family tree continue to cause us a bit of a bother, Bellatrix," said Voldemort. "It seems they met sometime last summer in…Albania…interesting. It would seem I underestimated Dumbledore," he added, almost under his breath.

That did cause Severus to widen his eyes in surprise. Apparently Lina had created a backstory for this very occasion, taking all of the blame on herself and hopefully leaving Severus free to continue in his covert operations.

"If you would be so kind, Bellatrix," Snape said abruptly, "to take her to the dungeon, I will be along presently to attend to her just punishment." He waved off the dark haired witch dismissively, and Bellatrix sputtered in offense.

"Now, Bellatrix," pronounced Voldemort mildly, enjoying the power struggle between his favored followers. "Severus so rarely allows himself to partake in these things. We must encourage the darker pleasures."

"You may have the first ten minutes with her," added Severus with a false graciousness.

"Then I will make good use of it," she snapped, jabbing her wand at Lina's throat and pushing her along towards the corridor.

"Pity," Lina heard Severus murmur as she was forced along. "There were…benefits to having Miss Andersson around."

When Bellatrix had collected her from her classroom, Lina thought the game was over. She'd planned what she could to make sure Severus would appear innocent, and had resolved herself to execution. At least if Severus asked to deal with her himself he could make it a quick death, as opposed to the torture Voldemort or the crazed Death Eater currently bruising her throat with the end of her wand would enjoy.

At that moment Bellatrix rasped eagerly in her ear, "Now where should we put you?" Lina grimaced, imagining what thoughts were probably racing around the other woman's mind in that moment.

"I know just the place!" piped a voice from overhead.

Peeves the Poltergeist was floating above them, and unlike the castle's other spirits, nothing about Peeves was ethereal. Able to manifest in a physical form, today he sported a green striped vest and red bowler hat with a sprig of holly and a jingle bell attached to it, and had been wandering the corridors singing Christmas carols as loudly as possible to try and disrupt classes. Lina watched him warily. Peeves had been more vocal than some about his displeasure with the new world order, claiming the students simply weren't fun anymore with Death Eaters in charge of the castle. But it was unwise to assume he would do anything that might benefit her. At best he might prove a short term distraction, allowing Lina a chance to fight back.

"Yes, yes, yes," Peeves continued cheerfully. "Dungeons! Dungeons! Dank and mucky dungeons! Oh, what wicked things go on there! Follow me!" And he zoomed along the corridor, coming back to ensure they were following and then racing off again, like a eager puppy. Where he was leading them, Lina couldn't begin to guess.

The finally stopped outside a door in a disused corridor. Lina would have been hard pressed to say what the room actually was, assuming it to be a broom closet or one of the castle's many storerooms. When Bellatrix pushed open the door, Peeves darted in ahead of them, cackling.

Lina was manhandled into what looked like an unused classroom. Rows of desks faced a large window, that at this lower level, looked into the murky waters of the Black Lake.

"No manacles, but I suppose it will do." hissed Bellatrix skeptically.

"Lovely. I can watch the aquatic life. It relaxes me," replied Lina drily, receiving a sharp jab for the remark.

Bellatrix shoved Lina away from her and aimed her wand, grinning devilishly. " _Crucio,_ " she whispered, her smile widening as Lina dropped to the floor, writhing and screaming in agony.

So intent was she on her victim, that Bellatrix failed to notice Peeves locking the door behind her and then lifting up one of the desks above her head. The heavy wooden piece met its target, and the witch dropped to the floor, crumpled in a pile of splintered wood and blood.

Peeves didn't pause to check the results of his work, but swooped down to Lina as the Bloody Baron seeped through the wall. "Get her up," the Baron directed. "We don't have much time to help her escape."

Peeves hovered over the other witch, as she, trembling and crying, tried to sit up. "Damn," she gasped. "I haven't been hit like that in a quite a while."

Lina leaned against one of the desks for a moment as her body tried to recover from the assault. "I can't get out of the castle," she croaked. "My wand is back in the classroom. The Dark Lord is still here…"

Peeves grabbed her arm and hoisted her to her feet, then pointed to Bellatrix's wand that lay beside her still body. "Use that," he said.

"You can get out that way," said the Baron, pointing toward the large window. "Remove the glass. Swim through. If you can, repair the glass wordlessly. They will most likely still know how you got out, but it should afford you some extra time."

"Why are you helping me?" Lina asked hoarsely, tentatively holding her bruised neck.

"Revenge," the Baron said coldly. "That so-called Lord took Helena's kindness and betrayed her. So I am taking his prisoner away. In exchange, you can give me some information. You were looking for Rowena's diadem. Did you find it?"

Lina shook her head. "I believe it's somewhere in the castle. But it's been used for a spell…tainted with blood magic. If it is found, it must be destroyed."

His black eyes, wide and pupil-less, stared at her for a long moment. "Will this hurt him?"

Lina nodded.

"Then consider me an ally. I will search for the diadem in your stead," the specter said solemnly, pressing a fist against his chest in a pledge.

Peeves rolled his eyes. "Enough with the pageantry. She doesn't have much time."

Unable to maintain a precise spell with a strange wand and her hands still shaking, Lina ducked behind a desk and blasted the window out of the frame, glass showering down amid the rush of frigid lake water. It was hard to force herself into the freezing lake, using a spell to create a path through the flow of water. She climbed through the frame, slicing her leg on a jagged piece of glass, but kept going. Continuing against the rush of water seeking the outlet of the broken window, she swam in jerky motions. Cursing herself for not thinking to remove her cloak before leaving the room, she wasted precious air trying to wrest herself from the sodden, heavy fabric.

Lina blinked, trying to see through the murky depths, thankful the nearby trail of exhaled bubbles at least showed her which way was up. Her brain was fuzzy and Bellatrix's wand felt foreign and unyielding in her hand. She finally managed to cast an _Aguamenti_ spell, and slowly propelled herself upwards with the stream of water shooting out from the wand behind her like a current. Part of her mind was trying to remember the spell Artemis used for gills, part of it wondering if Bellatrix was dead, part trying to calculate when they might discover her escape, and part coming to the realization that she was going to run out of air before she reached the surface. Her chest burned and black dots appeared in her vision. How deep had the room been? Thirty feet? Forty? How long had she been swimming?

A sudden burst of silver light startled her, and she inadvertently sucked in a lungful of water. Her last conscious thought was gratitude that at least she would not die locked away in a cell.

 _Wake, child. Wake._

The soft voice reached her through the relentless pounding in her skull. Lina coughed and threw up the water from her lungs, each breath sending jabs of pain through her chest. Lying flat on her stomach at the shoreline, it took her a moment to realize at some point she had transformed into her fox form. She was soaking wet and chilled, but the fur kept her considerably warmer than she would have been in her own skin.

 _Come. I will keep watch._

Lina looked up and froze in shock at the source of the voice, an ancient silver knight staring down at her, the edges of the figure slightly blurred.

 _Come_ , it said again. _Your time here is ended._

Overwhelmed from the events of the last hour, Lina dragged herself from the shoreline to the edge of the Forbidden Forest and curled into a tight ball, her bedraggled tail draped over a tiny black nose, and fell into an exhausted sleep, the shimmering warrior standing at attention over her.

At the Entrance Hall Voldemort and his henchmen had gone, with the admonition to send Bellatrix to him when she had finished, and for Severus to enjoy his retribution. Just as Severus had allowed himself a deep breath, whether of relief or resolve he wasn't even sure, Peeves zoomed over his head, cackling loudly and yelling in a sing-song voice, "Snape, Snape, Severus Snape! What is he going to do? The lake it is freezing, the imposter is fleeing, and the crazy one just might be dea-ea-ea-ea-ead!"

Severus raced down to the dungeons, Peeves soaring along with him. Outside the old classroom, water was running out from under the door and down the hallway. Thankfully there seemed to be no students about at the moment as Snape unlocked the door and winced as a rush of cold water poured out, drenching him to this knees. He immediately repaired the window, halting the flood and then blasted a hole in the floor, watching as the water began to drain down into the cracks of the castle's foundation.

He watched in a sort of dumbfounded relief as Bellatrix's body was appeared in the diminishing waters. What the desk hadn't done, the lake took care of. She was clearly dead.

"How did she manage that?" he whispered to himself, shaking his head.

A snort above his head caused Snape to look up at Peeves, swinging from a wall sconce. "That's gratitude for you!" he snapped. "I took care of her, I'll have you know. And you should be grateful that's the only murder I've ever committed in a thousand years! But do I ever get a thank you? No. No, I do not. Paragon of restraint I am!"

The Baron appeared then, watching the proceedings mournfully. "Miss Laurent is safe. One of The Others has helped her. What will you do with the dead one?"

But Severus was stuck on one part of his statement. "What do you mean…Miss Laurent? It was Miss Andersson that Madame Lestrange brought in here."

Peeves looked at him with stark contempt, and tilted his bowler hat rakishly. "I know every troublemaker in this school. Do you think a bit of hair dye and some acting would be enough to pass Lina Laurent off as some kind of Durmstrang Death Eater Wannabe?"

"Who. Else. Knows?" Snape demanded, feeling the insane desire to laugh. All this time, and he hadn't been nearly as clever as he'd thought.

"Only the ghosts," Peeves grinned. "And the paintings. And the house elves. And probably now the Giant Squid. Not one of the other teachers has figured it out yet, the twits."

Severus felt his mouth go dry and his chest tighten. "And what, precisely, are you going to do with this information?" he asked in a low, icy voice.

A hard look settled on the poltergeist's features. "Almost a thousand years I've been here. Have you ever wondered why the other ghosts wound up at Hogwarts? None of them died here. So why is this school where they choose to haunt? I'll tell you why. This is where they felt safe. So their spirits returned here. We are for Hogwarts, Headmaster, and we always feel an affinity with the students who needs this home more than others. Old What's-His-Name betrayed us too. He wouldn't have become such a powerful wizard without Hogwarts, and Hogwarts would have always been there for him. But he doesn't care about the school, only himself, and he took it by force. We are on whatever side Tom Riddle isn't."

Severus looked speechlessly between his newfound allies, and thought he probably preferred things when he was working alone.

* * *

** Author's Note:

I always find it slightly annoying to read author's notes that continually apologize for their delays in posting, and then I found myself doing that very thing. So no more! I will post as I am able, which should be every 1-2 weeks, though I wish it were more often. :)

To my long-time Guest - Huge thanks as always! I thought you'd like the idea that Remus wrote a book. :) Is it bad that I'm a little happy I made you cry? After I write something, and reread it, and edit it, and reread it again it loses some of the emotional impact for me, so I'm never quite sure things are coming off as I want them to. And that's a good point about Hermione not using nicknames! I was thinking that in his dog form they would have called him Padfoot, and in his human form they would have used Sirius, but maybe she wouldn't have. And don't worry - I promise Remus survives!

To my Guest, Anon - thank you for your review! I realize that the supernatural elements are not everyone's cup of tea, but I think the original story with ghosts, prophecies that come from somewhere unspecified, and magical objects that can bring souls back from the afterlife, left room for interpretation. I am delighted that you enjoy the characters and dialogue enough to continue with the story despite the other elements not being to your taste. Regarding your question about actors, I absolutely have people in mind. :) Some of them I envisioned as I created the character, and some I found later to fit what I saw in my head. So here's my list, but as a disclaimer, this is for faces only, the actor's voice or personality have little to nothing to do with it. Some of these people I've never heard speak, I just found their picture on Pinterest. I also included for a few a song that I felt, for me, fit their personality or how I wanted to deal with their character. You are also welcome to check out my inspiration board on Pinterest where I have some aesthetics pinned that I created for this story. Search for mamastreetstories. Feel free to let me know if you had anyone different in mind - I'd love to know your thoughts!

Remus Lupin - David Wenham - _Fear Is a Liar_ , by Zach Williams

Artemis Scamander - Zooey Deschanel - _Fight Song_ , by Rachel Platten

Sirius Black - Johnny Depp - _Immortals_ , by Fall Out Boy

Lina Laurent - Ramola Garai - _Renegades_ , by X Ambassadors

Severus Snape - Adrien Brody - _Demons_ , by Imagine Dragons

Gareth Travers Rodriguez - Gavin Stenhouse - _Roads_ , by Lawson

Isabel Rosier Rodriguez - Olivia Holt - _Wild One_ , by Faith Hill

Daisy Parkinson Rodriguez - Sasha Kichigina - _Dry Bones_ , by Lauren Daigle

Joshua Wilkes Rodriguez - Matthew Daddario

Catherine Rosier Rodriguez - Brie Larson

Xavier Bryant - Sam Heughan

Xander Bryant - Jason Statham - _Some Nights_ , by fun

Kieran Walsh - Jason Momoa

Ellie Burke - Gemma Atterton

Jane Novak - Minnie Driver

Hawthorne Endress - Mandy Patinkin

Oscar Rodriguez - Javier Bardem

Rosa Rodriguez - Penelope Crúz


	83. Chapter 83

Chapter 83 ~ December, 1997

It seemed to take forever to reach the anti-apparation border at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Lina felt like she'd gone twelve rounds with a troll, her whole body weary and aching as she made her way through the trees, the sky darkening above her as night fell. Finally she reached the edge of the Muggle side of the forest, seeing the petrol station where she had stopped with Sirius and Remus when they returned Buckbeak to Hagrid.

Spotting a lorry at the edge of the carpark, Lina transformed from her fox and snuck over to it, hoping the driver would be inside the petrol station long enough for her to grab some things. For the moment it seemed, luck was on her side. Even Bellatrix's recalcitrant wand allowed her to unlock the truck easily. This one had a small sleeping area in the cab and she dug quickly through the duffle bag sitting underneath it, grabbing the first pair of jeans and jumper that she found. A rummage through the cab netted her a few pound coins and she tucked them in a pocket, bundled up the clothes under her arm, and left the truck, making her way back to the edge of the woods.

It took several attempts, but she finally managed to shrink the man's clothes enough for them to fit her. She scraped her hair into a ponytail, wishing she could take the red out, but not wanting to risk pointing that wand at her own head. Grabbing the coins, she walked over the petrol station, noting with relief that the truck she'd broken into was already gone. The jumper had turned out to be from the current Rolling Stones World Tour, and would certainly have been recognized by the owner. The money was enough to by her a cup of coffee and packet of Hob-Nob biscuits, and Lina sat outside the station eating them slowly between sips of coffee, trying to decide what to do next.

The obvious answer was to find the wolf pack, but she didn't know where they'd set up headquarters. She could go to London and scout out Grimmauld Place and check in at the French restaurant, but Voldemort would probably have people checking those places too. She was a traitor and they would be revisiting every place she'd been, every thing she'd said or done to see how far-reaching the betrayal had gone. Lina wasn't at all sure how this warrior thing worked, but she silently sent up a wish that what she'd shown Voldemort was enough to keep the heat off Severus. She would have willingly let him kill her if it kept him safe and free to continue their search for the Ravenclaw diadem. But that was no longer up to her, she was out of play. Maybe the ghosts would be a help to him in her absence.

Night had now fallen fully. Lina stood to her feet and tossed the empty cup and wrapper in the bin. Brushing her hands off on the stolen jeans, she walked around the back of the building and pulled out the wand, glaring at it. "Now then," she said firmly to the wand. "I am every bit as determined and dangerous as Madame Lestrange, so you had damned well better do as I tell you. Got it?"

There was only one place to go that the Death Eaters didn't know about. One place that she'd erased as completely as she knew how. There would be no welcoming family, no nosy postmistress, no Yugo and caravan, no high-strung chickens or mellow cows, nothing to indicate the Laurents had ever famed the land. Just an empty stone farmhouse and fields going to seed where she could plan her next move. Fixing the image of her childhood home in her mind, Lina disapparated with a loud crack.

* * *

Artemis finished the enlarging spells on the last of Ana's outfits and tucked them away. Hopefully she wouldn't have to worry about doing that again for at least a month or two. That darling little bundle of trouble was growing like a weed. She turned from the wardrobe and had to do a quick jump step to avoid stepping on her husband's outstretched hand. Remus had shrunk most their bedroom furniture down and moved it out of the way so he could chase his ten month old daughter around the room.

Ana had recently mastered crawling, and considered herself quite unstoppable. No random item was safe from her exploring — shoes, kitchen utensils, quills, lost buttons, and books moved from one room to another, sometimes via her mouth, as she dragged them around the house on her travels. She'd even managed to set fire to the dining room rug when she'd happened upon Joshua's wand that he'd dropped during dinner one night. Remus vacillated between wanting to surround her with cushioning charms and boasting at her early accidental magic. The tall, typically reserved man was currently making growling noises as he crawled on all fours following his daughter, who grinned a drooling, toothy smile as she squealed.

Ana finally stopped and turned, allowing Remus to catch her and happily babbling, "Da da da da da!"

Her daddy scooped her up and lay on the floor on his back, lifting the giggling baby up in the air and flying her around as he narrated an imaginary Quidditch match. "Esperanza Lupin has control of the Quaffle and makes a daring plunge under the Slytherin beater. She feints to the left…to the right. This may be the greatest Chaser Gryffindor has ever seen! Lupin releases the Quaffle and scores again!" Remus lowered Ana down one last time and nuzzled her neck, sending her into peals of laughter as his scruffy facial hair tickled her.

"And what happens if she gets sorted into Slytherin?" asked Artemis, laughing.

"She wouldn't dare," answered Remus, handing off the baby and sitting back up. "But if she does then she'll be the greatest Chaser Slytherin has ever seen."

Artemis laughed and took Ana to her changing table, quickly putting on a fresh diaper and pajamas as Remus set all the furniture to rights. "Well since you got her so wound up, you can have the pleasure of trying to get her to go to sleep."

"My deepest apologies, madame," said Remus with a bow and a cheeky smile. "Unfortunately I am scheduled to patrol the perimeter of our grand estate this evening. I wish you the greatest luck with your nocturnal endeavors." Coming up behind her, he placed his hands on his wife's hips and leaned around to kiss her cheek. "But I shall take great pleasure in trying to help you go to sleep later," he murmured, smacking her lightly on the bottom and leaving the room.

Artemis laughed and shook her head, gently extracting strands of her dark hair from Ana's firm grasp. She cuddled her daughter in her arms as she settled into the room's comfiest chair and offered her a bottle. "And that charm, Ana, is probably how your father managed to get out of trouble when he was young. Most of the time Remus Lupin is a calm, sensible, and thoughtful man. But every once in a while he reveals just how much he and your Uncle Sirius have in common!"

* * *

Remus grabbed a jacket from one of the hooks in the hall and went through the kitchen heading to the back door. He stopped when he noticed Daisy trying to hide tears as she assembled ingredients at the stove to make hot chocolate. The girl studiously ignored his presence, fumbling as she sloshed milk into the pan and wrestled with the lid on the can of cocoa.

"I know these last couple weeks have been very difficult," Remus said as he gently took the can of coca powder from her hands and opened it for her. "I've always admired how you are able to handle your gift with such lighthearted compassion."

"But it didn't help, in the end, did it?" she said dully. "I couldn't save Mamá or Xander. I won't be able to change things for…" her voice trailed off and she sniffed. "Never mind. Kieran and Papá asked me not to talk about that. As long as Harry can take out You-Know-Who, that's what matters."

Remus laid his jacket down on the table and pulled out a chair. "Defeating him does matter, of course it does. That doesn't mean other people don't matter. I've lost quite a few friends in this fight, some I considered family."

Daisy glanced at him, then back down at the saucepan, as she added sugar and stirred it into the steaming milk. "Maybe it's all some cosmic joke," she muttered. "They promise to protect you and fight for you, and then it turns out you don't really matter in the end. You aren't part of the bigger story."

"They've disappointed you," he said softly. "The warriors. By letting people you love die."

Daisy nodded, but didn't say anything. She carefully ladled out two cups of the hot chocolate and joined Remus at the table. He hesitated a moment. "Daisy, have you asked them about this?"

A flash of anger crossed her face. "Of course! They said love lays down its life, that not even a sparrow falls out of the Creator's hands without their knowledge, and I have to have faith."

Remus felt like a very inept counselor in that moment. If supernatural beings who seemed to know more about what was going on than anyone else couldn't make her feel better, what was he supposed to say? "I guess, just because something sounds cliche doesn't mean it isn't true…" he began rather lamely.

"But it's just words!" she burst out, before burying her head in her arms. "Please tell me I don't usually go around spouting platitudes like that all the time," she muttered.

"We all spout platitudes once in a while," Remus acknowledged. "Because we can't always capture with words things we know to be true." He settled back in his chair and sipped the hot chocolate while he tried to organize his own thoughts.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this," Daisy finally said. "I know sometimes people think I'm crazy. I feel crazy sometimes, seeing and hearing things nobody else does. But…I was okay with that when it brought people hope and healing. I liked that I knew things nobody else knew…that I'd been trusted with this special secret. And people needed me…"

"And now?"

"Now it feels…heavier. More like a burden than a gift." She glanced at him, and Remus nodded encouragingly. "I just wonder…" she bit her lip and looked down at the table. "If their deaths are my fault for not listening and understanding correctly, or the warriors' fault for not telling me enough."

"You want someone to blame?"

Daisy hesitated and then nodded.

"Well then," Remus began conversationally, stretching out his long legs and crossing his ankles. "Let's say it is all your fault. How does knowing that help you process what happened?"

"Wh—what?" Daisy looked at him in surprise.

"If it's your fault than you were given as much information as you could possibly have had to make the decisions that would have saved everyone, and you didn't."

Daisy gaped at him, and Remus smiled. "Do you feel you had enough information to know exactly when and where Xander would die? Or your mother?"

The girl slowly shook her head.

"Then I don't see how their deaths can be your fault," he said gently. "And from what you've said and what I've seen and heard myself, these warriors are just that — warriors. They are fighting a war just like we are. And in my experience, people fighting in a war have to do two things — follow orders and do the best they can moment to moment in a battle."

"But they promised…" she whispered.

"Daisy," he said quite solemnly, "the first time we went to Alec's camp I told Artemis that I would do whatever it took to come home to her, but that I would not come home without you kids. Those are promises I can try to keep to the best of my ability, but, I can't control every decision that every other person may make. Sometimes all we can do is our level best, and it still may not be enough."

"Then maybe it's too hard," she said, her open, freckled face crumpled in misery. "Too hard to keep watching people be sacrificed."

"It is hard," Remus nodded, wrapping his hands around the mug for warmth. "It will probably continue to be hard until it is over. And then rebuilding afterwards will be hard as well. It was the first time, anyway. Sometimes," he continued thoughtfully, "I think this war has stolen most of my life. Just when young people are excited to begin their first years of adulthood, I was watching my friends die. Like you are now. Like I am again. But I can also tell you that there is still love and happiness and hope on the other side. Grief won't leave you completely, but its voice does grow fainter as we allow ourselves to listen for the other things."

"But how am I supposed to stay hopeful when it hurts so much?"

Remus smiled. "My mother's name was Hope. My daughter's name means hope. My wife continually makes decisions out of hope. But you were the one who told me that faith means being certain of what you hope for, convinced of even the things that you can't see. Now I'm hardly an expert, but I think you still have plenty of faith. You haven't given up. You're still trying to do the right thing. Sometimes I believe we have to acknowledge our feelings, and then do what's necessary in spite of them."

She nodded slowly. "Live like I have faith even if I don't feel it. I think…I think I can do that."

They both paused and sipped again at the quickly cooling chocolate. "You haven't asked what else I've seen, who I've seen. Why?"

Remus stood up and stretched, scratching idly at the healing scabs on his neck where one of Greyback's werewolves had grabbed him last month. "I think I'd rather not know. Then my feelings won't keep me from doing the right thing either."

"Oh," she said, and smiled for the first time in days. "I think it does make me feel a little better…that you'll be doing the same thing, I mean…trying to live with faith in spite of your feelings."

"We can help each other try," he smiled back at her. "Now, I'm on patrol tonight, but I'll be back in a couple hours if you want to talk more." Daisy watched him leave the house and stride towards the edge of the yard, transforming as he reached the stone wall and bounding over it, loping away into the darkness.

* * *

Lina slowly picked herself up off the ground, wincing. It took her a moment to process what had happened, wondering if she'd possibly put up extra security measures around the place and forgotten about it. But she hadn't. Someone else was here and had put up an anti-apparation ward, throwing her out when she'd arrived. As she got her bearings, Lina realized she had landed a good quarter mile from where she knew the house to be. Slowly checking and stretching each group of muscles, she was relived to find the hastily thought cushioning charm had kept her from breaking anything, even if it hadn't completely protected her from the jarring impact of the landing.

Hope flared in her. She had altered every memory and record of this place when she'd fixed things for the werewolves, erasing her family from Ministry and Hogwarts records. Lina Laurent had officially ceased to exist. Only Artemis, who had visited once, and a skin and bones criminal with a charming smile and his pitiful werewolf friend had kept their brief memory of stopping here. Was it possible that one of them had thought of it as a new headquarters? Who else would know about the place and take the trouble to try and hide it?

Transforming again, the red fox began to slowly circle the perimeter of the property, senses on alert for any sound or scent of human, werewolf, dog or mountain lion.

* * *

Remus ambled around the border of that same property, nose and ears pricked for anything that seemed out of place. He'd already made one quick sweep, and was on his second round when he heard what sounded like a faint crack and sensed more than saw the reverberation of the impact from something hitting the barrier. Most animals knew to avoid it, somehow aware of the energy the magic generated in the area, but it wasn't entirely uncommon for a bird to accidentally hit the magical wall and be thrown back. That crack though was another matter. It was faint, but it did sound like someone apparating nearby.

He hesitated only for a moment. It might be Sirius and the kids coming back, one them just misjudging the landing. But they never had anyone apparating in or out that they weren't expecting. Remus threw back his head and howled once before cutting across the fields toward the source of the sound. He caught an answering howl and let out a few barks and a lingering howl to signal his location. He reached the border at the far end of an empty wheat field and methodically paced out the length, sniffing intently, ears rotating to pick up any nearby noises.

He initially dismissed the scent of fox, being pretty common out in their part of the county. But as he started back along the edge of the field again he saw it standing under a tree, staring fixedly at him. Of course it wasn't really staring at him. It couldn't be. Sights, sounds and smells from their side were completely hidden. But he paused and focused on it, mentally sorting through the layers of scent. Beyond the fox was something human, but muddled with pain and fear, there were cigarettes and fabric softener, and the hint of lake water, different to the stream than ran through their property.

Kiran and Joshua joined him a minute later and the three changed back, Remus pointing toward the small animal, now sitting with its head cocked. "It sounded like someone tried to apparate in and was thrown back by the barriers. This might sound crazy, but I think that could be Lina."

Kieran frowned. "The others are checking the rest of the perimeter. You think she brought Death Eaters with her?"

Remus shook his head. "No other humans around that I can tell."

"How far out would they have been thrown?"

"I saw a magpie clip the top once," offered Joshua. "It cleared fifty feet. A human'd probably go farther."

Kieran pulled at his beard, as he thought. "Not far enough that we couldn't smell them. Lina didn't know we were here. Why would she have come?"

"It's where she grew up after all," said Remus with a shrug. "When Sirius first came here to look for her he said she erased herself. It could be that she's running and this seemed like a good place to hide for a while. If it's not her, that animal has had a pretty terrifying run in with some humans. It's hurt and scared. Those scents were pretty heightened."

"Okay, let's check it out," said Kieran with a nod. "I'll go first. You two cover me with wands from back here. If it's just a fox, it'll run. If not…"

Kieran passed through the barrier, Remus and Joshua drawing wands behind him. The fox stiffened as the much larger animal appeared, ready to dart away. But when Kieran stepped completely through the barrier and began to walk towards the animal, the fox changed into a tall red headed woman who immediately dropped her to knees before the werewolf.

"Thank Merlin," she breathed. "I'd hoped it was you lot."

* * *

Hours later, Lina was sound asleep in the room Jane had recently shared with Ellie, a hot bath, pain potion and comfy pajamas helping numb the events of the day. Gathered around the dining room table, the others discussed everything she'd told them.

"What on earth could be taking Sirius and those kids so long?" asked Artemis. "They've been gone a month! If they've got the Malfoy kid's wand and Lina told them where to get the sword they should have been back here ages ago!"

"Surely we would have heard if Toady Old Tom had captured them?" offered Fred Weasley. "He wouldn't have any reason to keep them prisoner somewhere, not now that he's already got control of the rest of the country."

"I think I should take the cup to the factory and attempt to use the Fiendfyre chamber again," said Oscar slowly. "Christmas is in two weeks. If the others haven't returned with the sword, I will attempt it then. Most of the employees will be off that day."

"Daisy?" said Kieran gently. "What information can you give us that might help?"

"Is it going to matter?" muttered Isabel, but looked apologetic when Catherine elbowed her, staring down at the table.

"He knows," Daisy said after a moment. "He knows Harry is trying to destroy the horcruxes. He's angry, but not worried…not yet." She grew quiet as she tried to sort out the various scenarios, fighting for control of her emotions. She grabbed for Joshua's hand, beside her, and gripped it tightly, almost painfully. "There's a trap," she finally whispered. "If Harry wins this next round things will come to a head very quickly…He can't stand to lose what he feels is rightfully his."

"Do you mean the horcruxes or…us…and the other werewolves?" asked Joshua softly.

"Both," she choked out. "This will be Greyback's last chance to win us back or wipe us out."

* * *

Harry woke with a searing pain in his forehead, unknowingly crying out and waking the other three.

"Did something happen?" asked Sirius, kneeling by Harry's cot. Harry was surprised to notice how old Sirius seemed just then, tired and worried, without his typical joviality.

"He's really angry," Harry said, sitting up.

"What's going on?" muttered Ron sleepily, sitting up and yawning.

"He knows we're after the horcruxes. He's been checking on them." Harry grimaced and rubbed at his forehead.

Hermione drew her blanket around her shoulders, biting her lip. "What else did you see?" she whispered.

"He still thinks he's a step ahead of us," said Harry after a moment. "I could feel…pride, or like a satisfaction. He's laid a trap or something."

"We need to hurry then," said Sirius. "Since we're up now, let's go take another look at the sword. Maybe inspiration with strike."

In short order the four of them were bundled up against the cold and stood staring at the monument, the hilt of the sword shining in the moonlight. "Well, I'll give it another go," said Ron after a moment, and clambering up onto the stone edifice, he grasped the sword and tugged mightily, to no avail.

"I already told you that wasn't going to work," said Hermione with a sigh. "You have to be in danger."

"Sirius, why don't you try pretending to attack," suggested Harry.

Rolling his eyes, Sirius glanced around to make sure they were alone before transforming. He approached Harry and Hermione slowly, baring his teeth and growling menacingly. Hermione backed away until she was pressed against the base of the statue, and Ron gripped the hilt of the sword, pulling as hard as he could.

"No good," he finally breathed. "I said it would know if the danger was real or not." He grew still and squinted into the distance. "Harry," he said after a moment, "I think that old lady is coming around again."

They watched the figure approach with a shuffling step. She was stout, well wrapped in coat, hat and scarf, and came up to them, standing there silently and looking only at Harry.

"Do you…do you need something?" Harry finally asked awkwardly, suddenly aware that Padfoot had pressed his body right up against Harry's leg, his hackles raised and a faint growl beginning deep in his throat.

The woman glanced down at the dog and began to take a step backwards when Hermione reached out a hand as if to touch her arm. "Are you Bathilda Bagshot?" she asked eagerly. "Professor Bagshot, who wrote a _History of Magic_? I went by your house, but it didn't look like anyone was there…"

The old woman ignored her, looking once more to Harry and then turned her head towards the house on the corner, beckoning him to follow. "Are you Professor Bagshot?" repeated Harry.

This received a small nod and again the indication that she wanted him to follow her. "Do you want us to come with you?" asked Harry.

She shook her head vigorously and pointed to Harry. "You want me to come with you?" he clarified.

This received a nod, and Harry glanced at Hermione, who was frowning. "What if Professor Dumbledore told her something that could help?" he said, jerking his head towards the statue. Padfoot let out a disbelieving huff as Harry took a step to follow the woman.

"Harry, I don't think—" Hermione began, as several things then happened at once. Padfoot shoved him backwards, putting himself between Harry and the old woman, growling furiously. Harry heard the woman say, "It's him!" in a clear, cold voice and his scar immediately began to burn, the pain so sharp and sudden he stumbled backwards and fell to the ground.

"Run!" shouted Ron from atop the statue. "That's parseltongue!"

Immediately backing away, Hermione watched in horror, her stomach twisting as a giant snake seemed to spill out of Bathilda Bagshot's body, her skin and clothing falling in a crumpled heap on the ground. The snake ignored her, lunging for Harry, and then dodging away as Padfoot growled and snapped, standing practically on top of Harry as he tried to keep the snake at bay.

Hermione ducked behind a nearby headstone and cast any spell she could think of towards the writhing creature. Ron was doing the same from atop the monument, one hand holding the sword to keep his balance. One of Hermione's spells missed the serpent and hit the base of the monument, making it crack and shudder on its foundation. Ron gripped the sword tighter, and didn't noticed it begin to slip from its crevice.

The snake seemed to be everywhere at once, hissing angrily as Padfoot nipped it, and then knocking the dog off his feet as it tried to wrap itself around Harry. Padfoot sunk his teeth into the thrashing tail and pulled, as one of Ron's spell hit near the head, barely missing Harry.

A spell of Hermione's caused the snake to jerk back and slam itself into the memorial stone. Ron lost his balance and tumbled from the top, still gripping the sword that pulled free from the stone with a soft scraping sound. Reacting more than thinking, Ron dropped his wand and wrapped two hands around the shining hilt, bringing the weapon up and over his head, then thrusting the blade down with a yell on whatever part of the snake's body was closest.

The serpent shrieked and hissed, loosening it's hold on Harry and thrashing about wildly. "The head, Ron! Cut off its head!" screamed Hermione as she was knocked backwards by a twist of the body. She tried to roll out of the way as the snake lunged in anger, one long fang scraping her leg.

Ron hacked away, driven by a fury he didn't quite understand, as an acrid burning smell began to rise from its wounds. The snake turned on him and launched itself forward, jaws agape. Ron swung the sword out in front defensively, and the blade struck true, slicing the head cleanly off.

It fell to the ground with a soft thump, and then there was silence except for the others' panting breaths. The body immediately began to blacken and wither, as if it had died long ago and only now was the process of decay catching up.

"It's dead," said Hermione wonderingly. "You did it, Ron!"

Ron, still brimful of adrenaline, couldn't quite speak. He dropped the sword with a clatter and pulled Hermione into his arms, burying his face in her hair. Harry could just make out her voice mumbling against his chest, "It's all right. I'm all right, Ronald." When he pulled away, she gazed up at him, blushing furiously at the intensity of his eyes. Harry wondered for a moment if he was going to kiss her there and then, but Sirius cleared his throat loudly and broke the spell.

"What should we do with the body?" said Sirius. "If we can get rid of it, somewhere no one will find it, that might buy us some time."

"No," croaked Harry, wincing and holding his head in his hands. "He's coming. We have to get out of here."

"Right. Home then," said Sirius briskly. "Finally." He grabbed Harry and slung his arm over his shoulder, holding him upright. "Don't you dare go back for anything," he warned Hermione before disapparating with a pop.

"Sometimes it's like no one knows me at all," Hermione muttered, before waving her wand and summoning her bag. She caught it deftly, and Ron heard the familiar thud of falling books. "I packed up before we left the house."

Ron snorted, retrieved his wand and picked up the sword, drawing Hermione close to his other side. The two of them disapparated, leaving the black corpse of the great serpent shriveled at the base of the Gryffindor memorial, only moments before a black fluttering figure descended and a high pitched scream of fury filled the night air.


	84. Chapter 84

Chapter 84 ~ December, 1997

"Fish gotta swim, and birds gotta fly. I gotta love one man 'til I die. Can't help loving that man of mine." Artemis sung the words softly as she paced around the room, trying to soothe Ana back to sleep. Passing once more by the window, she caught sight of four dark figures making their way up towards the house. Kieran was on patrol tonight, and he wouldn't have let them get this far unless—

"Remus! Remus wake up! Sirius is back with the kids!" she yelped excitedly. Not stopping to see if he was actually awake, she left the room, hurrying down the stairs and getting to the front door just as it swung open. Setting a bewildered Ana down on the floor, she flung her arms around Sirius.

"Easy there, Kitten, you can let me breathe a little," he said in a voice thick with exhaustion.

"We were so worried!" she exclaimed, releasing him and hugging Harry, Hermione and Ron all in turn. "You guys were gone so long. Lina said she sent you after the sword weeks ago!"

"The sword was reluctant to get involved," said Sirius dryly. "Wait…when did you talk with Lina?"

"She's here. They traced the break-in at Gringotts back to her and she had to run for it. She's asleep up in Jane's room.

Remus was by now making his way sleepily down the stairs, but Sirius rushed past him, clapping him on the shoulder as he took the steps two at a time. He practically burst into the room and Jane and Lina both woke with a start, grabbing reflexively for their wands. Sirius could only grin at Lina stupidly from the doorway as she finally noticed him.

A warm smile spread across her face. "You're back," she said softly.

"So are you," he said. "For good?"

Lina nodded. From the bed beside her, Jane yawned and got up, wrapping a warm robe around herself. "I'll just give you two a few minutes, shall I? If Ron is back he's probably hungry anyway."

Once she'd left the room, Sirius came over and sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. "I won't stay. I could probably do with a shower and some food myself, but I just…I had to see you."

"Artemis said it was your idea, moving headquarters here." Lina glanced around the room and then smiled at him. "This was my room growing up actually."

"I went looking for you, back in the summer. Thought I'd ask your family if they knew any way to get a hold of you, but they were gone. Seemed like an ideal place to hide a dozen or more fuzzballs, so Oscar bought it."

"I'm glad you did. I wasn't sure how to find you, and I was so relieved you were all already here."

Sirius reached out and tucked a straggling piece of hair behind her ear, letting his hand linger on her cheek. "It's blonde again."

"Artemis fixed it. My wand, everything actually, is still at the school. I have Bellatrix's wand, but it hasn't liked having a new owner, so I wasn't going to point it at my head."

"How did you wind up with Bellatrix's wand?" he asked, amazed.

"I had help. But it's probably better we talk about it tomorrow. It's been a hell of a day. Did you make it back with the sword?"

"Yes, but that story can wait until tomorrow too," said Sirius, shaking his head. "I'll let you get back to sleep now. And I'll sleep a lot better knowing you'll be here when I wake up."

"Me too," she said softly, and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, letting her own cheek rest against his for a moment. "I knew I had to help Severus. But there were times I wondered if I could survive never seeing you again. I'm glad I didn't have to."

* * *

Severus Snape stared at his own hand as it reached for the glass of wine on the table. No trembling, nothing at all to betray everything that had happened. He quickly downed the first glass of wine and poured another. There was no leeway for panic. Panic meant he wasn't in control and if he wasn't in control he might as well turn himself into Voldemort now.

He still found it mildly surprising that he had received no message, no queries about what had happened to the Dark Lord's second in command. He believed him when Snape said he had tortured Lina for information, killed her, and disposed of the body. In reality he had removed more of the floor in the unused classroom, shoved Bellatrix's body underneath, sealed it all over, and returned to his normal duties as Headmaster.

Only alone in his quarters did he acknowledge Lina had secured his safety at the expense of her own, and left up to him, they would probably both be dead. The packet of papers he had found in going through her belongings detailed the false trail she had left, and Severus was able to send a missive to Voldemort outlining the information he had supposedly extracted from his former paramour that included a pack of lies about her helping Sirius Black recruit from the vampire covens of Eastern Europe.

It was highly disturbing to him that after all this time he couldn't decide if he would have been able to kill Lina to keep up the farce of his loyalty or not. It was a foolish and dangerous position to be in. He wanted to be relieved she was gone, to believe he was well rid of her. But here, completely alone, he forced himself to be honest. He was lonely. It had been…nice to have a compatriot of sorts. Their relationship had slowly shifted into something rather friendly and companionable.

Now well into his third glass of wine, Severus let his mind drift to a place he had kept locked up for over a decade now. He pulled out the photograph and stared at it, searching her face for any sign that she was anything but perfectly happy. He'd found it among Lina's belongings, this snapshot that must have been Black's, probably given to Lina to make sure her hair color was accurate. Lily and Potter on their wedding day, smiling into the camera before they both burst into laughter and kissed each other.

He let the overwhelming tide of guilt and pain crash over him, surrendering to it, letting it twist his heart and sicken his stomach. When Dumbledore had discovered Severus' Patronus was a doe, he'd jumped to the conclusion that it meant he was still in love with Lily, that he hadn't been able to let her go even after all this time. Sentimental fool. It was the guilt, the trauma that had changed his Patronus, not love. And that guilt would haunt him always. She had once been his friend, his only friend, and there was no way to atone for her death. And Merlin knew he'd tried. He betrayed the Dark Lord, spied for Dumbledore, always working the shadows, manipulating circumstances to save as many people as he could. And then Harry had arrived at Hogwarts, skinny, glasses, black hair that stuck up all over. James Potter reincarnated to make his life miserable. And there was no doubt that Harry excelled at breaking rules and getting into trouble. But he looked out on the world not just with Lily's eyes, but Lily's wonder and confusion at the wizarding world, and Lily's compassion. This was the boy he'd been willing to let die. And Severus' guilt roared so loud that he found himself constantly infuriated by the child.

"I'm sorry," he said, surprising himself that he had spoken aloud to the photograph. "I would ask for your forgiveness if I could."

Lily smiled and laughed at him from the photo, as Potter stood there looking so bloody pleased with himself. Severus shifted uneasily in his chair. Some part of him had expected the verbal apology to make him feel better.

 _Can you forgive them?_

The voice startled him so much he knocked over the glass of wine, dark red liquid pooling onto the carpet at his feet. Forgive them? That made less sense than asking for their forgiveness. They were dead, and if not by his hand, by his choice. What did they have to be forgiven for?

Scene after scene suddenly appeared in his mind of Potter's thoughtless, bullying comments and actions, his jeering face. The edge of the photograph crumpled as he clenched his fist. He hadn't been wrong when he told Harry his father was a swine. But then another scene came to mind, a terrified Potter, peering at him through wand light in the tunnel under the Whomping Willow. Potter grabbing his sleeve and practically dragging him out of there to the sound of thuds and furious howls behind them. But had he been worried about Severus being killed or Remus being responsible?

 _Could it not be both?_

The voice was softer this time, and Severus froze for a moment, before looking askance at the bottle of wine. He'd never suffered ill effects from drinking before, but perhaps it was a bad bottle?

The room seemed to dim for a moment, as all the light became focused on the wall across from his chair. Severus blinked against the brilliance, his heart racing, even as he stayed perfectly still, waiting for whatever would come.

The ancient looking soldier that appeared studied him for a minute, and when apparently certain Severus would neither run in panic nor faint, he seemed to lean casually against the wall.

 _I have watched over you for a long time Severus._

The voice was deep and powerful, but oddly comforting, and Snape found himself almost hypnotized by it.

 _I was there each time you were derided and mocked. I was there each time you were acknowledged and praised. I was there each time you faced your father, or James Potter, or Tom Riddle. And I was there each night you felt you were drowning in regrets._

"What do you want from me?" Severus asked, feeling slightly gratified that his own voice was clear and firm.

 _I want you to be free. You have never let yourself heal from the wound that she left._

"My wounds are all self-inflicted," he muttered back.

If it was possible for the specter before him to look skeptical, this one did.

 _That's not really true, is it? People can leave all sorts of wounds, even if they're unintentional. And understanding why someone behaves the way they do doesn't automatically heal the wound._

"I have asked for their forgiveness, what more do you want?" Severus asked, flinging the photograph away from him. It fluttered to the floor, the happy moment in time repeating itself over and over again.

 _I want you to forgive them._

Snape glared at the translucent being, prepared to make some sharp retort, when he looked down at the photograph and realized how long ago it had been taken. He'd spent over twenty years hating James Potter. More than half of his life. And most of those years the man had been dead. _What a waste_ , he thought, and then was surprised at himself.

 _Your father bullied you. James bullied you. Lily didn't understand what it took to survive in Slytherin, let alone succeed. And in your hurt you became the very thing you despised — someone who bullies and hurts others._

"I didn't mean to…I…"

 _You can not hide from me and you can not hide from yourself,_ the voice thundered.

 _But I am not here to shame you for your choices,_ it continued more softly, tenderly even. _When you are a child, you think and behave like a child. But when you are a man you must put childish ways behind you. It is time to change, Severus. It is time to forgive those who have hurt you and move on. They can only continue to haunt your life if you let them._

* * *

"No!" shrieked the little boy, tears streaming down his face as he threw himself down on the floor. "I wan' my daddy!"

Ellie stood by helplessly, holding a small jacket in her hand, and looked close to tears herself. They had moved in the day before, magic transforming a shed into a guest house of sorts, so they weren't taking over the Roberts' own small house. Things were, for the most part, unpacked and set up. None of the inhabitants were burdened with many belongings, and Ellie and Deirdre had written up what they hoped was a workable schedule for the strange little pack, dividing up chores, school time, and wolf training. Ellie wasn't thrilled about that part, but Deirdre had convinced her that if the children could be taught how to match socks and learn the alphabet at Finn and Colleen's age, then they could start learning the basics of how to work as a pack. What she hadn't elaborated on was that if they were ever found or Voldemort somehow was victorious, Deirdre was going to have done all she could to help these little ones defend themselves. And it didn't look like she was going to get much help from their supposed Alpha. When the rest of his family had left after helping with the move, Gareth had sullenly withdrawn. Not being outright disagreeable, but certainly not behaving like Alec or Kieran would have, overseeing things for his people.

Kneeling down beside the wailing child, Deirdre said loudly, "Oi! Finn, you're supposed to lead the hunt today. Do you still want to do that?"

The boy blinked his big brown eyes and paused his screams to look at her and nod.

"Then you have to stop this. Leaders can't be having a strop like this. If you want to be Alpha someday like your daddy then you have to learn to be a good leader."

Swiping the tears off his cheeks, Finn clambered to his feet and meekly accepted the jacket. "I wan' my daddy," he whispered again piteously.

Ellie knelt beside him as well and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Look here, my love. Next week is Christmas. I promise I will ask Kieran to come for Christmas dinner. How about that?"

Her son looked up at her suspiciously. "How many sleeps?" he asked, holding out chubby fingers. "Three?"

"No, it's more than three, but it will go very fast. Why don't you go practice with Deirdre and then you can show Kieran how fast you've gotten when he comes."

"Okay!" Finn yelled, and raced out the door where Colleen, Gemma and Cadmus were already playing.

"Thank you," breathed Ellie. "I didn't really anticipate this, getting to know my own son all over again and having the other children to worry about. You're a godsend."

"It's been hard for everyone, and kids seem to pick up on the tension." Deirdre shrugged on her own coat and left through the back door that still swung open. "And Gareth is not helping matters," she muttered to herself.

Outside in the cold winter sunshine the kids were bouncing around and chasing each other with handfuls of wet leaves. "Line up!" Deirdre shouted and the kids transformed into a quartet of wriggling werewolf pups, mouthing and jostling each other as they attempted to wait in a line beside the closest tree. "Finn takes the lead today. Follow him!" And with a yip of excitement they were racing across the field, Finn trying his best to follow the scent trail that had been left earlier when Deirdre dragged one of Gareth's old shirts around and then tied it to a far tree. They all did pretty well scent tracking as long as they stayed focused.

With the children occupied for the moment, Deirdre turned to the thwack of an axehead on logs. Gareth was splitting wood for the fireplace and to take out some of his own frustration with things. Taking a deep breath, she approached him. She understood that this wasn't what he wanted, but things were going to get out of hand if he didn't step up and start acting like an Alpha.

"Hiya," she called out, and Gareth reluctantly dropped the axe with one final thud. He'd been avoiding her since yesterday. Disappointment practically radiated off of her, and Gareth wasn't used to being a disappointment to people.

"Hey," he answered, leaning over to grab his bottle of water. "Scent tracking today?"

She nodded, her red ponytail catching the sunlight as it bobbed behind her, giving it a more orange tint. Meeting his eyes, she immediately looked away, frowning down at the ground.

"We need to talk," she finally said.

"What about?" he asked lightly, aiming for nonchalance.

Deirdre rolled her eyes. "You know what. I know this isn't an ideal situation, but you need to stop focusing on yourself and step up."

That stung. He'd been looking after his brother and sisters since the day they met in that horrid basement room. The hope of possibly being free after the war marked the first time he'd actually ever thought about living a life just for himself. "I promise I am not thinking about myself," he muttered. "I'm thinking about all the people I could actually be helping if I weren't stuck out here."

"Bollocks! You're out here feeling sorry for yourself. Like it or not this is your pack now, and you need to deal with it. Finn just had a right strop because he's missing Kieran. They need to trust you to be who they need you to be."

"I didn't want this!" he said through clenched teeth.

"None of us did!" she shouted back at him. "You think I wanted to leave my pack? I didn't even get to go to Circe's funeral! Spoiled pureblood," she muttered, turning away from him and starting to walk away.

"Hey!" he yelled, incensed. "That is not true! Why do you think I came to fight? I'm trying to make up for what my family's done!"

"So the first time something happens that you don't want to do you start pouting about it and shirk your responsibilities? I thought you were a sound bloke."

Gareth stiffened at the disappointment in her tone. "The only way my birth father might understand what he's done is if I fight against him, fight for the very things he hates," he said firmly.

Deirdre shook her head. "You're trying to prove yourself to a man you may never meet. Don't you think the least Death Eater-ish thing you could possibly do is to take care of these kids," she said, waving her hand towards the tumbling, yipping pups that were now racing their way back to the house.

Gareth's shoulders slumped. When he didn't say anything else, Deirdre sighed and turned away. He watched her take off at a sprint, transforming mid leap as she caught up to the kids and led them off through the fields.

He stacked the split logs up against the house and carried an armful inside, dumping it in the box beside the fireplace. After getting cleaned up, he made his way into the tiny kitchen where Ellie was assembling some lunch for everyone. "I heard shouting," she said cautiously. "Is everything all right?"

"No," he sighed.

When he didn't elaborate, Ellie pulled out a chair and sat down, waving him into another seat. "Why did you agree to come if you didn't want to?" she asked bluntly.

Gareth looked at her helplessly. "I couldn't say no. It was what Papá wanted. And Kieran thought I needed practice if I was going to be Alpha someday."

"Do you want to be Alpha?"

Gareth looked uncomfortable. "Not right now. It was different back on the reservation. In a way things were easier. You just dealt with what you had, no options. So there was always the assumption that someday I'd be in charge. We didn't even call it Alpha because it wasn't necessary. But here…I guess I figured it would happen someday, but before then I'd actually have a chance to do what I wanted to do with my life."

"And what do you want to do?"

"Right now I want to fight. I want to prove that they're wrong and that just because you're born into a world ruled by hate doesn't mean you have to stay there," he answered, squaring his shoulders.

Ellie raised her eyebrows. "You don't have to convince me. I left that same world. So why were you and Deirdre shouting at each other?"

"She thinks I'm acting spoiled and selfish. But I…I guess I figured it would sort of switch on, you know? Being Alpha…that it would just sort of work. But…I'm just frustrated that I'm here instead of there. I'm…angry that they sent me away."

Ellie studied him for a moment. "Deirdre's just lost everything she's known. The closest thing she'd had to a mother in recent years was killed, and her father figure sent her away to keep her safe. Doesn't that sound pretty similar to what's happened to you?"

Gareth frowned down at his shoes. It did sound similar, and he probably should have recognized it before now.

"So you think I need to be more like Kieran too?" he asked softly, trying to fight against the suffocating feeling of everyone else's expectations.

"I think you just being you will suffice." Ellie smiled a little. "I doubt Deirdre would have ever found it in her to shout at Kieran."

Gareth slumped back in the chair. "I know. She doesn't trust me. She doesn't think I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing."

Ellie shook her head. "Those are two separate things. I've talked with Deirdre quite a bit. Did you know Alec MacIntyre was the first man she was ever able to trust in her whole life? She felt reasonably safe around your pack, but you've seen her, she shies away from men and freezes if things start to get tense. I get it, I sometimes struggle with the same things because of my husband and my experiences watching Fenrir Greyback. But she doesn't do that with you. If she's standing up to you I think that says she trusts you a great deal, trusts you to not respond the way she anticipates most men responding."

"Oh," he said lamely.

"Now," she added briskly. "We really could use your help around here. So how about we move forward with the understanding that you are simply here for a while preparing these little ones to function with their abilities. After the war we may find their families, or we may return to Kieran, or, or, or…any number of things could happen. If you don't want to be an Alpha then be what everyone seems to feel you're already wonderful at…be their big brother."

Gareth nodded. "I can do that," he said softly.

"And don't feel like you're not doing a good job if you and Deirdre butt heads once in a while. I think deep down she's a feisty thing that been muffled by some trauma. And the safer she feels, the more that feistiness will show up."

Gareth finally gave her a small, wry smile. "Then I'll try to remember that if she shouts at me again."

* * *

Tom Riddle lived in an almost constant state of anger. Oh, there were highs and lows of course. Times he could be pushed to elation, rooted in an arrogant sort of self-satisfaction, and times he could be pushed into the deepest depths of fear. But anger was the wave that created those hills and valleys.

So useful anger. It always stemmed from hurt, but the mortals rarely recognized that. The shifting mass of darkness inhaled deeply as it settled itself around Tom Riddle. Ah…the scent of fear wafted around him. Lovely.

 _That boy can not destroy you._ It whispered soothingly. _You who have been given the secret of immortality. Who could possibly stand against you?_

The darkness laughed to itself. The secret to immortality. What a joke. Every time a mortal came close to achieving eternal life in their realm it was snatched away from them. The entire game was rigged. But this venture of Tom's had been a decent run. Three generations affected. His master would be pleased with the fallout.

Tom had begun to pace, muttering to himself. The darkness delighted in hearing his litany of woes. Not just the diary, but the ring, the cup, the necklace, and his own Nagini were gone. His lieutenant was missing. That was a pity. She'd been quite fun. Her dark one didn't even have to pretend the whispers were her own thoughts. She was more than willing to take any suggestions it proposed. The darkness swayed back and forth with him, enjoying the turmoil of Tom's emotions. The key was not to let him over extend himself too soon. The machinations of the spy had to be kept in check. But the spy was hidden, covered and protected from exposure. The darkness had watched him carefully at the school, but could not yet touch him. So frustrating. The spy was a like a tantalizing treat kept just out of reach. He treaded the line so closely, and yet had not fallen. Ah well, perhaps there was yet time.

 _Only one horcrux remains_ , the darkness began to whisper. _It is undiscovered. No one knows Helena told you of the diadem's location. The world believes it lost forever. No one would think to look for it at Hogwarts. Even Dumbledore didn't know it was there. You have taken out the supposed greatest wizard of the century and secured your eternity. A mere boy will not stand in your way now._

Voldemort's pacing slowed. The diadem was safe, he had checked on it when he had revealed Miss Andersson's treachery to Severus. There was not yet cause for panic.

 _The Elder Wand. We must focus on it. It is even more important now that the other horcruxes have been destroyed._

Voldemort ceased his pacing. Yes. The wand. Such an interesting history that wand. He felt rather an affinity with it, as they both, sometimes capriciously, awarded others with power, only to snatch it away again. Dumbledore no doubt thought himself very clever, having taken it from Grindelwald, only to be killed by someone he thought he could trust. And now Severus, perhaps unknowingly, was the master of the wand. That was almost a pity. Severus had been so very useful. If Lucius' spawn had killed Albus like he was supposed to it would have been a more amusing scenario. A thin smile revealed a row of sharp teeth. But it could not be helped now. He would have Severus retrieve the wand. Then when the time came it would be there, ready and waiting for him.

"Wormtail!" Voldemort shrieked, the sniveling servant appearing in the doorway in seconds.

"Yes, my Lord," he said with a deep bow.

"Fetch me Fenrir. He has dallied with my war dogs long enough. He retrieves them tonight or he forfeits his own life!"

"At once, my Lord."

Above and around him the darkness laughed. In trying to delay his own death this so called Dark Lord brought it ever closer, strewing dozens of bodies behind him. And now the spy could be taken as well. How delightful.

* * *

The farmhouse was a flurry of activity as everyone prepared to go meet up with Alec's pack for the full moon. The mood was somber despite the activity, in anticipation of a full-scale battle.

"All hands on deck tonight," said Catherine as she pulled on her jacket and slung the first aid kit over her shoulder. "At least the Death Eaters don't know that we know that they're coming."

Xavier brushed past her in the hallway and she reached for his hand, opening her mouth to ask him to speak with her for just a moment, to say what she'd been trying to say for the last two weeks. But he kept moving, not making eye contact and hurrying out the front door.

Jane caught the interaction and pursed her lips. "If you ever need time to talk with him, just let me know. I'll make sure you two are scheduled for kitchen duty together by yourselves. Then he can't ignore you."

Catherine smiled sadly. "I may take you up on that," she sighed. "I know he's just trying to function the only way he knows how…shut his feelings down and keep moving. It's not a bad strategy with how stressful things have been, but…I would at least like the chance to tell him…well, you know," she whispered, blushing. "I ought to say it out loud at least once. That way if something happens…well, I won't regret not saying anything."

Jane nodded. "He's always been closed off about things, but losing Xander seemed to make it worse. If you need to say something, you say it soon. No telling what might happen these days."


	85. Chapter 85

Chapter 85 ~ December 14—15, 1997

The faint sounds of Gareth's voice, a guitar, and laughing children spilled out of the house behind them as Deirdre and Gemma carried baskets of laundry out to hang in the feeble winter sunshine. Magic could have dried it all in a moment, but Gareth had said if he was in charge then they were operating by reservation rules, and that meant everyone did chores the No-Maj way. He backed up his words by volunteering to cook breakfast for everyone each morning, and Deirdre had to admit it was pretty spectacular. She and Ellie could have boxed along well enough, but Gareth's ten years under Jane's tutelage made him by far the better cook.

"What song was he teaching you in there?" Deirdre asked the younger girl as she hung up the larger towels and heavy jumpers, leaving the smaller items for Gemma to hang on a lower line that she could reach.

"Something he learned from his mum," answered Gemma. The ten-year old was tentatively opening up to them, eager to fit in with others like her, and she watched Gareth with something akin to hero worship, quietly in awe that he had come out of the same circumstances she had. "It's in Spanish about a vic—, well not a vicar, but something that sounds like that, that's like a llama."

"I think his sister, Isabel, told me about that song," nodded Deirdre, mumbling around a mouthful of clothes pins.

"Where did Finn's mum go?"

"To the other farmhouse for the evening. She'll be back later, but probably after you lot are asleep." The pack was heading off once more to help Alec, and Ellie had agreed to be on hand back at the house to deal with any injuries, but they had agreed to keep that information from the children.

"Did you know Gareth slept on the floor outside our room last night," said Gemma, her eyes darting to Deirdre's face, but not really looking up at her.

"He did?" she asked in surprise, dropping one of the pins.

"After Cadmus had that nightmare and woke everybody up…you and Ellie got him settled again and went back to bed, but then he got up to use the toilet and Gareth was there outside the door. He told Cadmus that he'd stay there all night and make sure we were safe."

Deirdre grinned at her. "I knew he had it in him."

Gemma nodded, a small smile crossing her face. "And tonight during the full moon he said we'll play games and practice tracking. He'll be a good Alpha," she added in a serious voice, as she turned back to her pile of washing.

"Yes he will," agreed Deirdre, smiling at the girl's endorsement.

* * *

Daisy's hands shook as she pulled on her coat and tried to zip it. All at once she was wrapped in a warm pair of arms, pulled close to a reassuring steady heart beat.

"I'm sorry this is so hard on you," Joshua murmured to her.

"I just wish I understood more clearly," she sighed.

"You and Gareth. I'm sure he's thinking the same thing. He wasn't really happy about leaving."

"I know. But…Papá really believes it's better this way."

"It funny isn't it?" he said, pulling away and pushing a wayward curl out of her eyes.

"What's funny?"

"That Gareth is leaving even though he doesn't want to because he trusts Papá. And you're pressing on and listening and doing what the warriors suggest because you trust the Creator. It's like one's a picture of the other."

"What?"

Joshua's brow crinkled in confusion at the surprise on her face. "Isn't that what you said before? Back in London, when I kissed you on the cheek for the first time," he added with a small smile. "You said we were supposed to trust the Creator like we trusted Papá, because we know him."

Daisy let out a breath that was half a laugh. "I'd forgotten about that," she whispered. "You're right. Gareth is putting his faith in Papá's decision, even though he doesn't understand and he doesn't really like the idea. That's…that's what I need to do."

She flung her arms around him, with another laugh. "You are more than I even hoped for," she said delightedly. "My treasure."

Joshua swallowed down the lump in his throat. "I won't leave your side tonight," Joshua murmured to her. "Not for one second."

"You can't promise that," Daisy mumbled, pressing herself more tightly against him.

"No, but it makes me feel better to say it."

"Tell me how you want things to be when this is all over."

"What?" Joshua pulled away and looked down at her. "I thought it would hurt you to talk about things like that, when you already saw so many possibilities."

"Knowing what I've seen isn't the same as knowing what you want. What do you wish could happen?"

"Well, lots more of this for one thing," he smiled, tilting her chin up and pressing a kiss to her lips. "As far as what happens after the war, if Isabel doesn't manage to book us on an around the world tour, I think I'd like to look into an apprenticeship with a commercial farming group. Learn how magic has been developed to help with crop production and harvesting. And then just stay here, or buy our own place if Lina wants this one back."

"Really?"

"Unless you want to do something different," he added hurriedly.

"No, that sounds pretty perfect," Daisy said softly, pushing herself up on her tiptoes to kiss him again.

"We'd better catch up to the others," Joshua said eventually, with some reluctance.

"I love you," Daisy said pulling him close to her one last time.

"I know," he smiled at her, shaking his head in amused wonder. "And I love you, and until I take my last breath that will remain the most amazing gift I have ever been given."

* * *

The pack was tense, waiting for the impending attack. Puffs of warm breath filled the cold night air from wizard and werewolf alike, scattered along the boundary line. Xavier and Lina shifted impatiently, neither liked starting out on the defensive, waiting for the enemy to engage first.

"If this is a repeat of last month, we try to take out Greyback's werewolves first," called Kieran. "That's how they're tracking down the pack. Then single out the kids and get them back to the house. By Ellie's count there should be two left…unless they've created more," he added under his breath, before transforming himself.

A tremendous crash echoed through the forest and the werewolves froze, another crash sounded, shaking the ground beneath them. Artemis blew out a frustrated breath. Giant. Had to be. The transformed wolves on the western border, closest to the crashing, set off a series of warning howls, one ending in a yelp of pain. A monstrously large arm swooped down, club shattering the tops of trees that then rained down on the fighters.

The barriers fell, but rather than seeing a line of Death Eaters approach, a barrage of spells flew like arrows, falling down from above, and the packs scattered to avoid them. More crashing sounded from the southeast. Another shower of spells fell. Artemis cast a shield spell around those closest to her.

"Move north!" she heard Lina shout, just as the thunderous rumbles began to sound in that very direction. Artemis caught her gaze and they both arrived at the same realization. Three giants, long range spells that were intended to cause more panic than damage…they were surrounded, and being herded into the center of the camp.

"We've got to take down one of the giants to get a clear exit!" Artemis yelled, as she ran towards her, and Lina nodded, staring up at the sky as the third wave of spells arrived.

"Those are coming from the west, let's see if we can move everyone southeast," Lina said amid the shaking and crashing.

"This is my first giant," said Artemis ruefully. "How many have you fought?"

Lina showed the barest hint of a smirk. "Including the year you went back to MCUSA? None. But it will look wonderful on my CV."

"Giants!" Sirius yelled, running up to them.

Lina nodded. "Looks like we're surrounded."

"Brilliant," he panted. "At least we can attack in any direction."

"Try to move everyone towards the southeast border. If we can take down that giant we'll have a clear exit."

"Brilliant. Take down the giant. Leave that to me." Sirius ran off and another shower of spells fell, this time shimmering squares of cloth followed their descent. As one of the squares of cloth fell over his head, Joshua grabbed for it, more annoyed than anything, and tried to pull it away, but whatever enchantment was on the cloth drove him into the ground and pinned him there underneath it.

A boulder flew through the air and Lina shoved Artemis behind her out of the way. "It's some kind of net!" Artemis yelled, watching as Joshua transformed, fighting against the silver mesh. She and Lina ducked as the giant turned and sliced his way through again, his huge club felling tree after tree.

A Death Eater sneaked forward from the tree line, approaching the entangled werewolf. Joshua forced himself to his feet and lunged toward him, making the Death Eater stumble back a few steps. Out of the corner of her eye Artemis saw a second dark wizard approach another trapped wolf and disapparate away with it. "It's a trap! They're taking them away!" she yelled.

"All right, give me a second!" Lina yelled back. She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and and pointed her wand at wand. "I'm Han you're Chewbacca. Time for a prisoner transfer."

Artemis nodded and tucked her wand up her sleeve, walking out from behind the tree, in front of Lina with her hands raised in surrender. Lina pushed her ahead to the Death Eater that had Joshua pinned down. He thrashed and growled as the Death Eater slowly tried again to get close enough to disapparate them both away.

"I caught another one!" Lina shouted from beneath the hooded cloak, brandishing her wand with her left arm, her Dark Mark on full display. The other Death Eater looked up and Lina's curse hit him full in the face. He fell back, dead, as a werewolf launched itself forward out of the trees.

Lina threw herself out of the way and Artemis leaped towards it, transforming with teeth and claws bared. The big cat screamed as the werewolf's claws raked down her shoulder. Lina pulled the net off of Joshua with a levitation spell, not cloth, but a sheet of small interlocking rings of silver metal, and he scrambled away from it. Artemis and the werewolf were now circling each other, both torn and bloody. The silver net still high in the air, Lina flung it towards the other werewolf, and he dropped under its enchantment. Artemis transformed back and aimed her wand at the wolf, firing off a spell and killing it instantly.

"How many of those nets do you think they have?" Joshua panted, his eyes darting around worriedly, as Artemis knelt down to examine it. "It's like chainmail," she remarked. "Looks like the Rodriguez Silver Corporation has been hard at work. Too bad we didn't know about it."

"Greyback is right!" a voice shouted, and they turned to see a man yelling at Alec McIntyre, the other pack's Alpha, pinned down under one of the pieces of silver mesh. "We have magic, and now we can control the werewolf powers too. Why should the ordinary wizards keep holding us down and treating us like we're some sort of lesser creature?! If you join him you can still lead the pack, even build it up. We could have packs all over the country!"

Alec laughed derisively. "If you thought this was just about leading a pack, then Greyback can have you for the fool you are."

"Forget them!" another Death Eater yelled. "The Dark Lord only cares about the children! Kill the rest if they're too much trouble!"

The man hesitated, but only for a moment. "I'm sorry about this Alec. You were a good leader." Two quick blasts of light shot out from his wand and Alec fell dead at his feet.

* * *

Across the campground, Kieran, Xavier and Hezekiah were trying to bring down one of giants, leaping up to bite and tear at his calves and ankles. The giant bellowed in pain and anger, his club thundering down on the ground, barely missing the werwolves that darted around his feet. Tonks and Hawthorne were dueling two Death Eaters. Jane lay unconscious on the ground, Catherine working on stopping the blood flow from where another werewolf had bitten her. Hawthorne blasted a concussive spell that threw the dark wizard back against a tree, and ran for Jane, disapparating her back to the farmhouse.

Tonks was hit with a spell on her wand arm. She dropped to the ground, scrambling around for her wand with her left hand, her right hanging limply at her side. Hezekiah transformed back and drew his wand, flinging a couple jinxes toward the Death Eater in quick succession, before helping Tonks to her feet. Recovering quickly, the Death Eater cast a curse that blasted them both backwards as the giant turned and made another pass, his club smashing into the tree nearest them.

The tree cracked and tipped, Xavier darted forward, throwing his body against Catherine and pushing her out of the way. The tree landed with a crash, branches and leaves scattering. Catherine got to her feet and looked for an opening, trying to get to where she'd seen Tonks and Hezekiah land, finally climbing up and over the trunk. But it was too late. Whatever that last curse had been found it's mark. Tonks lay almost cradled in Hezekiah's arms, both of them gazing up with sightless eyes.

A spell hit the tree behind her, and Catherine ducked. She felt a hand grab her wrist and pull her away. Branches scratched at her face as they ducked through them, around the fallen trees. Catherine stumbled over what felt like a body, aware the sounds of the fighting were moving off in the opposite direction. "Keep going," he urged, his voice rough, and Catherine pulled up short.

"Xavier, what are you doing?" she asked, turning to face him and trying to catch her breath.

"Just keep going. If you get at least ten miles out they probably won't bother to look for you. You can make your way back in the morning, after it's over."

Catherine looked at him, stunned. "I can't leave! What on earth are you saying?!"

Xavier forced himself to take two slow, deep breaths. This was not the time to give his emotions free reign. "Go," he muttered, turning to walk back towards the center of the fighting.

"Wait!" Catherine called after him, hurrying to catch up. "I can't do that. I've been trained to fight and I can help keep some people alive long enough to get them home to Ellie. Jane would have bled out if I hadn't been there."

Xavier didn't acknowledge her, and Catherine began to feel both desperate and angry. "Look at me!" she said sternly, grabbing his arm.

He finally slowed to a stop and Catherine pulled him around to face her. "I know this is hard. We both might die tonight, and so I need to say something. I. Love. You. I've been trying to say it for days, but you wouldn't let me. So if we die, we'll at least die with both of us knowing you were my first love. And if we survive then you had better just get used to the fact that you're going to be my last love too."

His mouth was on hers before she knew what was happening, rough stubble scraping against her lip as he kissed her, his hands gripping her upper arms. Just as she felt Xavier move one of his hands to cup her cheek, he froze and then suddenly pulled away.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that," he breathed out, not able to look her in the eyes. "That isn't…it's not how I…"

Catherine closed her eyes for a moment, desperately wishing they were both somewhere else, far away. "Come on," she said, walking back towards the camp. "We have work to do."

* * *

Isabel paused beside a fallen tree to catch her breath. For Greyback's last chance to get them, he'd certainly pulled out all the stops. She wondered if this was how a fox felt at at a fox hunt, running and running until facing them all down at once seemed more preferable than the ducking and evading. Peeking over the top of the tree trunk she saw Oscar in the distance dueling a Death Eater, holding his own until one of those nets flew through the air towards him. The mesh pushed him to his knees, and the Death Eater drew closer. Isabel sneaked around the end of the trunk, huddling against it once more as the giant's club arced through the air, taking out a couple more trees.

Oscar was trembling from the exertion of staying upright under the enchanted weight of the net. The Death Eater hovered over him and began to laugh.

"Oh, Oscar, you couldn't have thought that I really believed you?" he chuckled darkly, as he pulled away his mask.

"Luis," Oscar said through gritted teeth, looking up at his cousin. "You never were the most perceptive, so it was worth the attempt."

"Is it worth it now? I don't know exactly what you were up to that day at the factory, but I knew you were never the type to join the Dark Lord willingly."

Oscar swore at him in Spanish and spit at his feet as the other drew his wand. "We could have made things work if _Abuelo_ had left the company to me instead of you, but you set yourself against me, so I had to make other arrangements." Luis paused and looked around with an expression of distaste. "This is not at all how I typically choose to spend my evenings, but having created these little traps I was obligated to make sure they worked. Luckily for me, they do. The Dark Lord has little patience for failure. And now, _mi primo_ , this is where I make the offer of join us, or die. But I think we both know what your choice is."

He didn't realize at first what had happened. There was a brief flash of light and Oscar saw his body drop, and in that moment, as though a veil had been pulled away from his eyes, dozens of figures appeared on their field of battle. Wolves and knights and black spectral beings of all shapes and sizes locked in combat. He looked around in confusion for a moment, and then of all things, saw his wife walking towards him through the chaos.

" _Mi amor,_ " she said, smiling.

"Rosa, I have missed you." he breathed out, then looked down again at his body. "So this is the end?"

She nodded. "Of this chapter of the story."

" _Y los niños_? The children?"

"We have done what we could. We were there when they needed us."

Oscar thought back on the five little ones that had come into their lives so unexpectedly. Tiny Isabel, who was so stubborn and determined to live life on her own terms. Catherine, the quiet caregiver that needed reassurance, but would never ask for it. Gareth, the fierce protector, willing to always put the needs of the others above his own. Sweet Daisy who tried to look for the best in all things. And Joshua, so tender but so unwilling to show it. They had been a gift for him and his Rosa, and he would not have traded a moment of it.

"They will be all right?" he asked, taking Rosa's hand and turning to follow her.

" _Sí._ They are strong, and they have each other. And we will see them again someday."

"A long time from now, I hope," Oscar replied with a laugh. "When I see them next I want to hear how my grandchildren and great grandchildren are doing!"

Flanked by large black werewolves, the pair walked hand in hand, fading slowly away.

* * *

Not yet close enough to stop it, Isabel watched him fall and let out a cry of dismay. Transforming, she raced in their direction, and caught sight of the Death Eater now standing over Oscar's body. With a snarl, she flung herself at him, heedless of where her claws and teeth met flesh, letting her grief and anger fuel her attack. With one last ferocious bite, the body went limp and she flung it to the ground, transforming back and kneeling beside the only father she'd ever known.

She pulled at the silver mesh, and noticed Daisy was there as well, tugging it off his body. "Did you see this?" Isabel asked her in a tight voice.

Daisy met her eyes and nodded, her face streaked with dirt and tears.

"Did you tell him? Did he know it was coming?"

She nodded again and Isabel sighed, feeling suddenly drained. "That was why he sent Gareth away," she said, halfway to herself. "So he'd be safe and able to carry on…when this is over." Finally noticing the blood covering her, Isabel wiped ineffectually at her mouth and spit. "I asked Xander once what it was like…to fight as a wolf," she said with a humorless laugh. "He said, 'Kid, you let yourself get savage, then you get up, spit out the blood and keep fighting.' Pretty accurate."

Daisy opened her mouth to respond when a familiar scent met them. Both girls froze and looked at each other in disbelief and fear. Not thirty feet away, watching them intently was the source of every childhood nightmare, the catalyst that had set the course of their lives. Fenrir Greyback.

The two slowly stood and faced him, wands drawn. He was the epitome of the werewolf legends, and the primary reason most Ministry officials over the last two generations handled werewolves as magical beasts rather than magical beings. He stood there in his wolf form, staring them down, feral and predatory, and seeing nothing before him but prey.

"Why isn't he attacking?" muttered Isabel out of the side of her mouth.

"Maybe gauging how much of a threat we are?" Daisy whispered back. "He's all animal now, acting on instinct, not reason. We both smell like werewolf and you're covered with blood."

The moment seemed to be enough to decide, and with a howl, Greyback launched himself forward, clearing the space between them in one leap. Daisy flung up a shield charm as Isabel threw a spell, but he barreled right into them, knocking them aside. He turned to bite at the nearest girl, but Isabel had transformed again and her claws raked his face. Greyback pulled away, growling, confused and angered by the sudden change.

The dark and golden wolves faced him, side by side. Greyback struck again, and Isabel lashed out in a kind of terrified fury, as Daisy let out a desperate howl. Moments later two large black wolves barreled into the thick of the fight, Kieran reared up on his hind legs and grabbed Greyback's shoulders, forcing him to the ground. The feral werewolf snarled, and Joshua dove straight for his face, teeth locking onto the other's jaw. In that moment, Kieran bit down on his neck, the enormous pressure snapping bones and leaving Greyback's body to flop limply back on the ground.

The four werewolves stepped back from the body as a monstrous roar and crash, the loudest they'd yet heard, cause the ground to shudder. It was followed by silence, a questioning bellow, and then deafening footsteps, running away to the north. A quick succession of pops indicated that others were disapparating in a hurry, and in just a few minutes the forest was silent.

* * *

They slowly worked their way through the campsite, taking a head count. It could be considered a victory, but a disheartening one. Alec and four of his packmates were dead. Three were missing, presumably taken by the Death Eaters. Jane had been injured, Tonks, Hezekiah, and Oscar all killed. Sirius, along with Fred and George, Xavier and Catherine, had miraculously managed to take down one of the giants, but Fred had broken a leg when the giant crashed down, and George took him back to the farm for Ellie to mend it.

It was exhausting and somber work cleaning up the area to secure it from Muggles. Their friends and the members of Alec's pack were taken back to the farmhouse for burial. The Death Eaters and feral werewolves scattered about were buried onsite, near the body of the giant that Artemis managed eventually to transfigure into a moss covered hilltop. Charms were set around the area to deter Muggles, and the bloody, weary group finally made their own way home.

* * *

Home. Exhausted, angry, tense with adrenaline, overwhelmed with grief.

Artemis wanted to weep and scream as the hot water from the shower ran over her, washing away the sweat and grime and blood. Her shoulder stung as she applied salve to the claw marks in front of the steamy mirror. Part of her wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for a year. Part of her wanted to rush out the door and hunt down every last Death Eater herself.

Finally in bed, Artemis and Remus lay side by side, staring at each other.

"I know I said we would alternate, but…I just keep wondering if one more would have made a difference…one more wand, one more set of teeth. The reality is that it would have helped to have you there. And when it's me…well it just eats away at me to stay back. I took an oath to fight darkness. If I sit at home while others are sacrificing themselves for their own children, like Rosa and Oscar, or even the younger ones, fighting for children they may never get the chance to have, what kind of a person does that make me?"

Remus reached out and ran his fingers through her hair. Raven black. Strange of speech. The one who released the captive wolves and restored the bonds once broken. It didn't really catch him by surprise that she felt this way. She was fierce and determined, and he was reminded of her words about her house at school. _A true wampus will tell you what you think or feel or dream doesn't matter if you don't go out and do something about it._

"I'd be lying if I said that idea doesn't terrify me," he finally said. "When I think of what happened to Harry and the grief that Oscar and Rosa's kids are experiencing right now…When I think about leaving Ana to navigate this world on her own…But I do understand. I wanted to rush out the door a dozen times tonight and go help. I just don't know of a better or different way to handle things."

Her tears were now falling unchecked, and Remus pulled her close, kissing her forehead as she lay her head on his chest. "It's better for our daughter to live in a world without us, than in a world where he wins," she whispered. "I know you don't really want to hear this, but…when the moment comes again. I'll have to fight. I'll have to."

* * *

It was close to dawn when Catherine, Isabel, Daisy, and Joshua made their way to the Roberts' farmhouse. They had cleaned up, but opted to come deliver the heartbreaking news to Gareth and Deirdre before they thought about food or sleep.

He should have realized something was terribly wrong when his siblings all appeared at the farm in the morning. But Gareth's first thought was that they'd simply come for breakfast and to tell him all about what happened the night before. He was partially right in any case, but he guessed what had really happened before they made it to the door, the misery on his sisters' faces confirmed by quick nod from his taciturn brother. Gareth felt like screaming, but his stomach churned so violently, he was afraid he'd throw up if he so much as opened his mouth. Standing aside, he let them all file past him into the small house. Catherine went to the kitchen and began making coffee, the others sitting at the table.

"It wasn't you Daisy saw in her vision," Isabel began. "It was Papá. She told him about it, and he asked her not to tell the rest of us, and then he sent you away. He knew you'd need to help keep everyone together and he wanted to make sure you were safe."

Gareth barely heard her through the roaring in his ears. He managed a mute nod, but couldn't say anything. They took turns in halting voices explaining what had happened the night before. Only after both Isabel and Daisy said it did Gareth register the words that Alec had been killed as well.

"Alec was captured. When he refused to join Greyback, one of the werewolves that had left his pack killed him," Joshua said solemnly.

"Who else?" Gareth asked in a quiet voice.

"Hezekiah and Tonks," answered Catherine, joining them at the table. "The same spell took them both out."

"And the rest of Alec's pack? Where did they decide to set up camp?"

"Gareth, there's no one left," whispered Daisy. "By the time it was over we found the bodies of four of them. Three are missing, we think captured."

Whatever Gareth's response might be was lost as Deirdre entered the kitchen, sleepily, tying her hair back in a ponytail.

"I thought'd I'd come help get breakfast started," she said shyly, seeing the others already sitting at the table.

"Hey Dee," Isabel said quietly. "We…uh, just came to talk to you guys about last night."

"Is Alec all right?" the red head asked, her face instantly worried. "He gets so worked up trying to keep everybody safe, and having to pack up and move everyone after a fight is stressful. Did…did we lose anybody else? I mean, all of you were there last night, right? So that's a lot more help. The Death Eaters probably weren't expecting that, and so catching them by surprise would have made a huge difference…" her voice trailed off as she saw the siblings all glance between themselves, and Isabel's eyes filled with tears.

"Deirdre," Gareth began in what he hoped was a calming voice.

"No," she said, shaking her head and back away from the kitchen table. "No. Don't say it."

Gareth stood from his seat and moved towards her, desperately wishing someone else was here to deliver this news. "Deirdre, I'm so sorry," he began, and he had to stop. His own chest grew tight and his eyes began to sting.

"No!" she wailed, sinking down to the floor. "No! He can't be dead. He's all I have left!" Her sobs were painful to hear, breath catching in her throat, and face turning blotchy and red.

The other girls sat there silently, tears streaming down all their faces. Joshua's jaw was clenched and he grabbed Daisy's hand under the table. Gareth watched in dismay as the children filed out of their room, drawn by the cries and looking at the adults uneasily. Only Gemma reacted, coming over to Deirdre and smoothing her hair back, voicing soothing shushing sounds. "It will be all right," she whispered, looking between Deirdre and Gareth. "Gareth can make it all right. He promised to keep us safe."

Deirdre let out another choked cry and stumbled to her feet, running from the house. She transformed and raced out into the fields, heartbreaking howls echoing through the air.

"Where's Mummy?" asked Finn sleepily, coming over to climb into Catherine's lap.

"Jane isn't feeling well, so your mama went over there to visit her and see if she could help," murmured Catherine reassuringly, trying to stifle her tears.

"Can we ha' pancakes?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure, sweetie. Isabel and Daisy can help you guys get ready and the rest of us will make some breakfast."

Gemma looked at Gareth reproachfully. "You should go after her," she said in a quiet voice.

After feeding the kids, his siblings had transformed and basically collapsed in the small living room, a pile of fur, relying on each other for comfort as they had always done. Gemma had quietly organized the three smaller children at the kitchen table, paper and ribbon and scissors and glue and stickers and glitter covering the surface as she showed them how to make Christmas cards.

And now he sat on one of the old stone fences that divided up the various fields, waiting for Deirdre to return, figuring she needed a little bit of time alone first before he tried to intrude. Periodically he would transform and check for her scent, making sure she was still close by.

Almost two hours later, he saw her trudging her way up to the house, tail between her legs and head drooping. Her fur, the same shade of red as her hair, caught the light of the winter sunshine. He hopped off the fence and went to meet her. She changed back when she noticed him coming, and stood there waiting, her shoe scuffing at the ground and shivering in just jeans and a thin sweater.

Gareth shrugged out of his jacket and placed it over her shoulders, then pulled his wand from his pocket and cast a warming charm. "I'm really, really sorry that you lost Alec," Gareth began in a soft voice. "And whatever you need to do…I mean, if it would be easier for you to go back home with the girls, or…I don't know…even go off on your own. I mean…you know how to live like a Muggle. You can walk away and start a whole different life."

Deirdre frowned down at the ground. "Alec was the first man I ever…really knew, if that makes sense. My mum waits tables a pub in Manchester. She's a mess, always had rubbish taste in men, and I learned really early not to get close. They always wanted…something. I took care of her more than she took care of me. After I was attacked and infected I met up with Alec's pack. He was the first man I ever met that saw me like a kid, like a girl that needed somebody to look after her, and not…something else. But our pack was still wild, and there were others that saw things…saw me, differently. I thought your pack was almost too good to be true, all of you really caring about and looking out for each other. And even though you were werewolves you'd had parents that loved you and…and showed you how to be the best version of yourself…What's wrong?"

She had glanced up to see a few tears gather in the corners of his eyes and trace their way down his cheeks. Deirdre reached up to brush them away and suddenly pulled her hand back, as though the reaction had been unconscious.

Gareth cleared his throat and looked away. "Um…Oscar didn't make it last night either," he said in a rough voice, wiping the tears away with the back of his hand.

Deirdre sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "It's a shite morning for everyone, eh?" Shaking her head, she turned and tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow, like she'd taken his arm at Bill and Fleur's wedding. Leading him back towards the house she said softly. "I promised Ellie I'd help with the kids, so I'm going to stay here with you if that's all right."

Gareth nodded, feeling a confusing sense of relief. The girl was certainly free to go her own way, she wasn't really part of their pack. But he knew the kids would be devastated, and for all the feistiness he saw in Deirdre, he thought she needed the security of their pack. No, not their pack, their family.

* * *

** Author's Note ** I'm working furiously to finish this up! There are only two chapters left, and an epilogue. I had hoped to have it finished by Christmas, but it may be New Year's instead. Either way it's so close! Many, many thanks for reading along!

Guest: Definitely praying for you! Send me an email if you want to chat. Regarding your thoughts on Artemis/Remus, I think a it's tricky thing to take a character like his and try to imagine how he might be different if he felt more acceptance and peace about who he was, and didn't have to struggle with the physical damage of the lycanthropy. I think a more playful side might be evident, but only in private moments, if that makes sense. I bookmarked the fic you recommended, and hope to get around to reading more in the new year. You mentioned writing a Marauder's Era fic, but I'm not confident I could hone in on their voices as teenagers. Maybe someday...we'll see. :)


	86. Chapter 86

Chapter 86 ~ December 19—20, 1997

The castle was empty, all students having been sent home for the Christmas holiday. This year no students chose the option of staying at Hogwarts, for which Snape breathed a sigh of relief. Amycus Carrow had been dispatched by Voldemort to take over Lina's position as Dark Arts professor, and his teaching methods were decidedly more brutal and less instructive. Snape only wished he and his sister, Alecto, who taught Muggle Studies, were leaving for the holiday as well.

Armed with the knowledge that both the Bloody Baron and the Headmaster were opposed to the new regime, Peeves had been taking his methods of disruption to a whole new level. He made sure to include all the teachers, but it was no secret the Carrows received the brunt of his chaotic nature. In between he'd taken to donning a black pinstriped suit and large fedora, interrogating all the paintings in turn like some film noir detective, digging for information about Helena Ravenclaw and the diadem.

"When's the last time you spoke with the Grey Lady?" he growled at the portrait covering the entrance to Gryffindor Tower.

The Fat Lady rolled her eyes. "You've already interviewed me!" she snapped. "I haven't spoken with her ghost for as long as I've been hanging here because she's never come to this tower! Go pester the portraits outside of Ravenclaw Tower or busy yourself with figuring out why my students keep trying to get into the common room when they're supposed to be gone on holiday!"

Peeves pulled himself up and crossed his arms. "What do you mean students are trying to get in? They've all been put on the trains!"

"Well not all of them, or they wouldn't be sneaking around here would they?" she answered, the ruffles of her pink silk dress rustling in indignation.

Peeves pulled a fat cigar out of his pocket and chewed on it thoughtfully. "Which students?" he finally asked.

"I'm not sure. They had hoods pulled down over their faces. But they knew the passwords well enough."

"Well you keep that tidbit of information to yourself, got it, sweetheart?" Peeves didn't hear what the Fat Lady shouted after him as he sped away, but that was probably just as well. He gnawed on the unlit cigar in frustration. No one, it seems, talked to the Helena. She kept absolutely to herself. _Lonely sort of life, even for a ghost_ , Peeves thought. _Well, time to try another approach._

* * *

Perched on a truss near the ceiling above the Gryffindor common room, hiding in the shadows, Peeves watched two hooded figures sneak along the corridor. Finally. He'd been on this stakeout since dinner time. They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady and glanced around quickly. "Nolite me molestare," a faceless voice hissed.

But the portrait was fast asleep. One of the figures reached out and tapped on the canvas. "Nolite me molestare!"

"No!" snapped the Fat Lady, now awake and vengeful. "I wish you'd take _Don't Bother Me_ as a hint! The password was changed earlier today. And as there are no students currently staying in the castle, there's no need for anyone to know the password. So go along back where you belong!"

"But…" one of the figures began. The other grabbed its sleeve and tugged.

"Never mind," it whispered. "Someone will take care of it tomorrow. Let's get out of here!"

They scurried back down the corridor, Peeves zooming along silently above them. Turning down the hall towards the main part of the castle, they skidded to a stop and began to pace back and forth. At their third turn, the wall behind them began to shift, and a door appeared. The two figures slowly pulled open the door and darted inside. Peeves swished after them, dematerializing as he slipped into the room.

He was properly gobsmacked by what he found inside. He'd known the room was there of course. A thousand years of trouble making students, and it had been stumbled upon fairly early in the castle's history. If he'd had to guess, Peeves would have ventured that this was Helga Hufflepuff's brainchild. The Hufflepuff common room, her students' safe haven, was in the lower levels near the kitchen. It was highly likely she would have decided to create another safe haven of sorts on the upper floors of the castle. He found it most amusing that Mr. Filch frequently found a broom closet here when he needed one, but then could never find it again to return his cleaning supplies.

But this, this was something else entirely. It was as if the castle had created a new dormitory. Squashy chairs littered the space with rows of hammocks strung up above them, various scarves and ties strewn about that indicated all four houses were represented here.

"The ruddy portrait changed the password," one of the hooded figures yelled, as it whipped off its covering, revealing an irate Seamus Finnegan.

The other figure removed its hood as well, shaking out her long red hair. "Neville can convince her to give us the password tomorrow, can't you Neville?" Ginny Weasley remarked.

"I can try," the tall boy shrugged. "But come over here, you won't believe what just happened! We were talking about how it was too dangerous to try and sneak down to the kitchen, and this painting appeared on the wall with this tunnel painted on it. We reckon it takes us to food somewhere, maybe directly to the kitchens, but we can't quite figure out how it works yet."

Why were all of these students here instead of at home? Peeves silently hovered over them, inspecting each face. Well, as long as they were here, he wasn't going to get a chance to hunt for the diadem. Better to report it all to the Headmaster in the morning.

* * *

Ensconced in his studio, Sirius frowned at the canvas in front of him. The hair wasn't quite…ah there, it should drape over her shoulder more, that was it. The portrait of Oscar and Rosa would just be finished in time to give it to the kids for Christmas. Then they could add all their memories to it. It in no way made up for the fact that their parents were gone, but Sirius had found so much comfort from the portraits of Reggie and James that he thought he could give the kids a little of that as well. As he splashed paint about, Sirius regaled his dearly departed James and Lily with the story of the fight with Nagini and Harry's subsequent destroying of Helga Hufflepuff's cup with the sword of Gryffindor.

There was a light tap at the door, and Sirius quickly spun the easel away from view of whomever might be on the other side. "Can I have a moment?" Lina asked, poking her head around the door.

"All the time in the world for you," Sirius replied, smiling at her in that uncharacteristically shy, boyish way he sometimes had.

"I wanted to talk with you about Harry. I'm a little…concerned."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Then you'd better sit." He waved toward the painting. "You haven't been properly introduced yet. These are Harry's folks, James and Lily. Prongs, Lils, this is Lina."

Lina nodded stiffly at the painting. "I'm not sure this is going to be a conversation his parents want to hear," she said, dropping into a nearby chair. "What do you know about this Elder wand?"

"That it's the most powerful wand in the world," he replied promptly, moving easily around the numerous canvases and easels, straightening things. "That the wizard wielding it can't be beaten."

Lina cocked her head at him skeptically. " _Can't be beaten_ might be overstating things a bit. Obviously they can be beaten, or the wand would have remained with the original brother."

"But he was murdered in his sleep," Sirius protested.

"That isn't even why I came up here," said Lina, waving away the last comment. "Remus and I have been helping Harry train, and a few of the spells he's starting throwing around are…darker than I would have expected from him."

Sirius frowned at her. "Well, Remus got onto him when he left his aunt and uncle's for the last time because he wouldn't use darker spells. He said an expelliarmus wouldn't cut it against You-Know-Who."

Lina sighed. "He's right about that, but this…felt different somehow, like there was some malice behind it. He'll have a close call with a spell that we cast, and then it's like a fire gets lit, and he comes at us with a fury. Anyway, I wondered if the wand might have something to do with it, so Remus and Hawthorne have been looking up information."

"Would have thought you could put Hermione onto a job like that. She loves to dig into things."

"She also loves to worry, and I didn't think this was something she needed to worry about," said Lina dryly.

Sirius paused, set down the palette in his hands and pulled a chair up to face her. "What did you find, exactly?"

"One of the wizards who once possessed the wand was called Godelot. He wrote a book on Dark Magic, and claimed the wand helped him. He called the wand his most wicked and subtle friend who knows magic most evil."

"Are you saying you think the wand itself is encouraging Harry to choose darker magic?"

"I think it's a possibility. I went back and reread the story after we stole the wand. The first brother asked for a wand that was worthy of someone who had outsmarted Death. Now, if I were Death, trying to hunt someone down, and they not only evaded me, but asked me to reward them for it, I guarantee I would plot the most brutal revenge you could imagine."

"Do you think you might be taking this story a little far?"

"The artifacts turned out to be real, why not their origin? I'm just saying, giving someone a powerful wand that happens to leave a trail of violence and death wherever it goes, and maybe makes the wielder overconfident and thus foolhardy…doesn't sound like Death was outsmarted after all."

Sirius frowned as he thought that over. "What do you think we should do about it?"

Lina shrugged. "For now, just keep an eye on him. If he's going to have to face the Dark Lord on his own it can't hurt to have the most powerful wand in the world. But if he's still having headaches and visions connecting him with Lord Vo— with the Dark Lord, I don't want us to find out too late that the wand is being used against us…and Harry."

Sirius nodded, his face creased in concern, and Lina rose from her chair. "Wish me luck. I'm going to try and reverse the memory charm I cast on Ellie. I think Bellatrix's wand has finally given up fighting me."

Sirius stood and grabbed her hand as she turned to leave the room. "How about I give you a kiss for luck instead of a wish?"

"I suppose that would work just as well," she answered with a half smile as his lips met hers.

He pulled away a moment later, and grinned at the contentment on her face. "You have a spell to reverse, remember?"

"Ah yes, Kieran's practically chomping at the bit."

"He's had a rough time of it. We rather bonded over our lost loves while you and Ellie were gone."

"Sometimes I wake up thinking I dreamed the whole incident with Bellatrix and the lake. I expect to still be at Hogwarts with red hair and pretending all the time," Lina sighed, shaking her head.

"Are you glad to be away from it? All the intrigue?"

"I'm glad to be away from all the intrigue and pretending," she said firmly. "It's terribly wearing on a person, being undercover for so long. But…I feel like I left my partner in a very sticky spot. Severus is exceptionally good at what he does, but it's difficult being on your own in a job like that. So I worry about him."

Sirius nodded. "We worry about him too, honestly. I keep thinking that if Peter was so willing to turn on us, why wouldn't Snape? He hated me and Remus for so long…"

"He hates the Dark Lord more," Lina said simply. "And I think he's changed. You all have. You aren't school children anymore, taunting and scrapping with each other."

"True," he sighed. "Well, off you go, your amnesiac awaits. I'll go down too and offer moral support."

The rest of the household was waiting tensely at the kitchen table when Lina and Sirius entered. "Ellie's in the living room," said Kieran almost breathlessly.

Lina nodded and left as Sirius walked over and clapped the taller man on the shoulder. "Try not to worry, mate. High chance that everything will work out perfectly. Lina's a brilliant witch."

Kieran nodded and agitatedly tapped on the tabletop.

In the living room, Ellie was standing stiffly by the window. She knew the others were all waiting, eager for this to work, hoping the spell reversal was a success.

"If you don't want me to try, I completely understand," Lina said. "I've worked for a week now to get this wand to work more fluidly with me, and I think it's finally given in. But it's still not the wand I cast the original spell with, so I can't say this will be foolproof."

Ellie nodded. "I know you may not be able to restore everything perfectly, but it was your spell, so you're still the best one to try."

"Very well then," Lina nodded and pointed the wand. " _Expergefacio_ ," she pronounced clearly, making sure her movements were clean and precise, watching closely as Ellie's eyes glazed over and then cleared.

The wall clocked ticked loudly as they held perfectly still and silent for a few moments. Finally Ellie blinked and looked at Lina with tentative hope. "I guess I won't know for sure if bits are missing, but…but I think I remember everything. Finn and coming to the reservation and him being healed and…most things."

Her voice changed slightly, but Lina chose to ignore it.

"Brilliant. Let's break that to the others. Merlin knows we could use some good news around here."

Ellie entered the kitchen, looking around at each anxious face with a nervous smile. "I think I'm back," she said softly. A great cheer rose up and Jane leaped from her seat to wrap Ellie in a fierce hug. "I'm sorry for all the confusion and trouble it created, but Lina really did the right thing. The Death Eaters could have found out everything and killed all of you…I was so frightened…"

"Well, then, perhaps this was all for the best," Kieran said gently, his smile warm and relieved.

"It was so strange…like when you can't think of word that's right on the tip of your tongue. Whenever Jane made tea I felt such a comfortable, homey feeling. I kept wanting to give Catherine tips and advice on caring for wounds. I couldn't understand why Sirius Black of all people was helping a bunch of werewolves. Finn was so different to what I remembered. And…" her face turned sheepish as she looked at Kieran. "I knew I'd forgotten something important about you, but…the whole Alpha thing is so…much," she said, waving her hands around. "It's so overwhelming sometimes that I…was afraid. So thank you," she finished, looking around at each of them. "Thank you for being patient with me through all of this."

"Life is messy," said Sirius with a smile. "Family is supposed to be there anyway."

Ellie shook her head with a smile. "Funny that you and I had to sever ties with our families to find that."

* * *

The portraits in his office had fled their frames for the moment, trying to escape the temper tantrum currently in full swing.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Peeves shouted. The chandelier rattled and shook over his head, and Snape was uneasily reminded that the poltergeist was no ordinary ghost. Built of the tempestuous emotions of the schools early students, he had a tendency to act and react, rather than think things through. An embodiment of immaturity. And having been so focused on his current assignment, it was obvious he needed to let off some steam.

"Please explain it to me again, then," said Snape, fighting for control of his own anger. The feisty phantom had appeared in his office first thing in the morning spouting off about students hiding in the castle and how he couldn't look for the horcrux while they were there. Then he was off again about interrogating the Portrait of Hengist of Woodcroft and the tapestry of that great idiot Barnabas the Barmy and his dancing trolls, and Severus found himself quite at a loss as to what was actually going on.

The chandelier fell to the floor with a mighty crash, and Snape ducked away from the flying glass. Peeves, momentarily distracted, ceased his ranting and looked down at the mess with a glimmer of pleasure. That fit out of his system, Peeves grinned cheekily at the Headmaster and began again.

"The portrait of Hengist of Woodcroft, that resides next to Barnabas the Barmy's tapestry on the seventh floor remembered something. She was a Hufflepuff, and says she was placed there to keep watch on the Come and Go room, and that back in 1955 she saw Tom Riddle come up and enter the room, years after he'd finished studying here. Word passed among the other pictures that Riddle had come asking Dumbledore about a teaching job, and Dumbledore turned him down flat. If he was wandering around the seventh floor corridors back then, I think he hid the diadem in that room," Peeves finished triumphantly.

Severus slowly caught up with his explanation. "What on earth is a Come and Go room?"

"It comes and goes and comes and goes," Peeves sang. "Why and wherefore? Nobody knows!"

"Are you referring to the hidden room that Potter used for his secret Defense meetings while Umbridge was here? In the corridor down from the Gryffindor Common Room?"

"Precisely!"

"But you can make yourself invisible. Why can't you go in and look around for the diadem? They won't even know you're there."

"That's not how the room works! Peeves snapped, and a couple wall sconces began to rattle ominously. "Alternate. Realities. Of. Magic." He enunciated with some disdain. "It's like…it's like pages in a book. While someone has the book open, you can't read the other pages. While someone is using the room, you can't use it, unless you're trying to use the same type of room they are!"

Snape resisted the urge to rub his forehead wearily. "Why are there students hiding in the castle over the holidays?" he muttered, almost to himself. "Silly fools. It's not any safer here."

"It is for some of them," responded Peeves knowingly, and broke into song again. "Sneaking. Sneaking. Sneaking into Hogwarts. Nowhere else to go! Parents hiding! People dying! Oh, what will become of them aaaaaaallllll!"

In that moment Severus missed Lina's succinct pragmatism desperately. If he survived, he'd probably wind up driven completely mad. They'd been abysmally foolish not to have realized the ghosts and paintings knew far more about things that went on at the school than they assumed. Rather than throw them off the scent, all their sneaking around and play acting had only amused the castle's inhuman inhabitants.

"So the place where you believe the Dark Lord hid the diadem is different than the room where the students are staying, and we need to get them out of the room so we can turn the page," Severus summarized. There was not a glass of wine large enough to help him sleep tonight. Then, remembering what had happened the last time he indulged in more than his single glass, he stopped that train of thought. "We can't move them openly with the Carrows here, so our first order of business is to keep those two occupied while we move the students someplace else."

"The students were trying to get into the common room last night, that's how I caught them. But the Fat Lady grew annoyed and changed the password on them."

"That's for the best. She's such a gossip, I'd rather not parade all of them past her," Snape said, shaking his head. "We will attempt to enter the room and see what this is all about before we discuss removing the students."

* * *

If there was ever a time that Severus Snape felt more ridiculous in his life, he was uncertain when that might be. The memory of James Potter levitating him over the grass by the Black Lake flashed across his mind, but he quickly pushed it out again. He needed to focus, and all the conflicting emotions he had about the Potters and that strange visitation a few nights ago would not help with that.

Hiding behind the tapestry of trolls performing ballet was the last thing he would have ever thought necessary as a teacher, spy, or Headmaster. Peeves had reported that the Ravenclaw door and its riddles were being more accommodating than the Fat Lady and her portrait, and the students were currently visiting that tower. When they returned, Snape would attempt to enter the room with them.

A slight tug on the tapestry was Peeve's signal that the students were approaching. He could hear the soft scrape of the wooden door opening against the stone floor, and slid sideways out from under the tapestry, then rushed forward, grasping the door handle and holding it open to allow him entry.

A terrified silence greeted him, and then he heard Seamus hiss at Neville, "You said only those who were opposed to the Carrows could get in here!"

"That's…that's how it's supposed to work," Neville stammered. "The pair of them came by here just yesterday, barely missed me, and they never saw the door."

"Maybe he is opposed to them," Ginny Weasley spoke up. "Are you…Headmaster?"

"What is the meaning of all this?" Snape said in an icy voice, glowering at the students. A small girl in a Slytherin jumper began to cry. Corelia Davesham, First Year. He glared at her, before pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and handing it over. "If I were still your Head of House, you would know sniveling is unhelpful," he muttered, internally cursing Horace Slughorn for his obliviousness. What else was a Head of House to do if not help fill in the gaps between school lessons and real life to help these children survive?

"We found the revolution!" Peeves chimed in excitedly. "Rise up! Rise up, and Tom the Toad will be overthrown!"

"Oh do shut up!" Snape snapped at him. "Mr. Longbottom, are you in charge of this operation?" he sneered, glaring menacingly at the boy.

It might have taken a few years, but the Hat had not sorted Neville Longbottom into Gryffindor for nothing. Grasping his wand firmly and stepping out, placing himself between the Headmaster and the other students, Neville nodded. "I am. Some of them had nowhere else to go. Some were afraid to lead the Death Eaters back to their families. Hogwarts is supposed to always be there for those who need it. Dumbledore said that," he added defiantly.

Snape took a moment to look over the set up. "Mr. Finnegan said that only those who opposed the Carrows were able to enter this room. Is that true?"

"From what we can tell," said Neville. "Until now, maybe."

Severus felt suddenly very, very tired. Years of playing his part cleverly and expertly were about to be completely washed down the drain. No longer would students cower before his sharp tongue and threats. No longer would he be avoided by terrified first years. His entire way of life was going to change. Provided he survived. The chances of which were looking slimmer and slimmer by the moment.

He caught the eye of a small girl with wild blonde curls. Marjorie Twicklesmith, Hufflepuff, Fourth Year, dab hand at Potions, but couldn't keep her mouth shut. She stared him down for a moment and then grinned. "He's on our side," she announced boldly.

"Can't be!" exclaimed Seamus. "The room's messed it up somehow. He's got the bloody Mark!"

The teenage frustration, fear, and hope was a heady combination to the mischievous poltergeist, who broke into song again. "Oh Snivelley Snape is a masterful spy! He always is sneaking and snooping! And just when you think that he's the bad guy, the bat swoops in to save the daaaaaaaaay!"

"Silence!" Snape thundered, and the twitter of giggles that had erupted at Peeves song instantly died off. "Remain here for the time being," he said sternly. "Do not, under any circumstances, leave this room to go sneaking off to the common rooms. I will return."

"We were looking for food," Ginny piped up. "Raiding the other students' stashes."

"I am sure, seeing that your lives are at stake, you will be able to temporarily manage your hunger," he replied unsympathetically, turning away with a swirl of his black robes, and exiting the room.

The students looked at each other uncertainly. Neville sat down on the edge of a chair, a bewildered expression on his face. "Do you think he really could be on our side?"

Seamus made a face. "I think it's a trap."

"But there's no way Peeves would be on Snape's side if he was, well, like normal Snape," offered Marjorie. "Peeves can't stand him."

"What do you think, Weasley?" asked Seamus.

Ginny shrugged. "Harry doesn't trust him, but I know some of the other people fighting against You-Know-Who still do, at least I did hear some stuff about him working under cover." A smirk crossed Ginny's face. "I'll say this for him, the bat does know to make an exit."

* * *

Ellie had returned to the other farm, and the rest of the household was gathered around the kitchen table, the detritus of the evening meal cleared away and pots of tea and coffee set out. There was quiet for a few minutes, with only the sound of cups being filled and the light clink of spoon on saucer.

Kieran finally cleared his throat, and sixteen pairs of eyes looked up to him. "I know our last encounter did not go the way we expected or desired. But the Death Eaters didn't get their hands on the kids and Greyback has been eliminated, so we also can't rule the fight as a complete loss. Lina and Xavier have brought up the valid argument that we won't make a lot of headway only playing defense. So we need to discuss some offensive maneuvers and ways we can bring the fight to them."

"You take out bases of operations," Xavier added softly. "I doubt y'all have weapons caches or anything like that, but there have to be places that his people gather. You start hitting 'em, one at a time."

Lina frowned. "At best I think we could manage some sabotage and assassinations, but we're hardly equipped for full scale assaults. Recruiting and coordinating the numbers we need for that would require a much larger base of operations."

The bang of the front door and the rush of a sound of wind swept through the front all, startling them. "Is Ginny here?" Arthur Weasley called in a loud voice.

Harry was the first out of the kitchen to meet him, Ron, Fred and George on his heels. "No, she isn't. What's wrong?"

"She wasn't on the train when I went to meet it. I went up to the school, but Professor McGonagall said there weren't any students staying over the holidays, they'd all be taken to Hogsmeade Station." He face suddenly went ashen, and he leaned heavily against the wall. "Do you think she's been kidnapped?" he choked out.

Harry turned and ran for his room. Flinging clothes and papers as he dug through his things, he finally found the Marauder's Map and searched frantically for Ginny's name. Ron stood in the doorway watching him. "Is she there?" he asked, and Harry shook his head dismally.

"There aren't any students there that I can see," he said.

"Do you reckon they'll hold her for ransom?" Ron asked in a rough voice.

"I don't think You-Know-Who needs money," said Harry, angrily tossing the map away.

"I meant offer her as a trade."

"You planning to trade me for your sister?"

Ron took a step back at the venom in his voice. "No, mate. I just…that sounds like something you would do, offer to trade yourself. I mean…"

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry. You're right. If I got a owl saying to meet up and they'd release Ginny in exchange for me I'd probably take it…Come on. Let's go back downstairs."

Arthur had gathered Fred and George and they were preparing to go check with any friends or relations for Ginny when a shimmering white doe leaped gracefully into the middle of the table. A smooth, icy voice began to speak from the doe, shocking those gathered.

 _A contingent of students are hiding in the castle._

 _Please make necessary arrangements to receive them._

 _Awaiting reply._

The doe faded away and everyone looked at each other. Sirius clenched his jaw and looked a little sick. Remus' brow was creased in what could have been anger or concern. Lina, her face impassive, rummaged around for a quill and parchment and began scratching notes.

"What just happened?" asked Isabel.

"Professor Snape's Patronus," answered Remus. "At least, that was his voice. I had no idea his Patronus was…"

"Do you think Ginny could be one of the students hiding in the castle?" asked Arthur. "We heard no one had signed up to stay at the school over the holidays. Can't blame them, really. Dismal place these days."

Remus and Sirius glanced at each other.

"Holidays."

"And the last horcrux is there."

"It's built to be defensible."

"There are rooms and provisions."

"We can get reinforcements in through the woods and tunnels."

Artemis cleared her throat, and the men looked at her. "Care to fill the rest of us in?"

"They want to set up a base at Hogwarts," said Lina, looking thoughtful.

"He'd be on to us in a flash," protested Arthur Weasley.

"Not if we did it right," said Remus. "If You-Know-Who trusts Snape, he won't be checking in regularly. He's too busy looking for Harry. We can lay false trails of him all over the country, have Severus take out any Death Eaters in the actual castle, and sneak people in through the tunnels via Honeydukes and the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade."

"Hogsmeade is locked down tight. You can't apparate in or out, and they're checking everyone who tries to make their way up to the castle," said Arthur.

"Holing up in a castle sounds a lot like we're making a last stand," added Xavier.

"It will be his last stand," said Sirius darkly. "We draw him out after we've destroyed the last horcrux. Get him to fight at the time and place we choose."

"Even mortal the Dark Lord is currently the most powerful wizard in the world," cautioned Lina.

"Isn't the bigger question numbers?" asked Artemis. "Who would he bring to fight with him, and who would we have?"

Remus hesitated. "We could maybe count on…forty?" he hazard.

"That's hardly an army," said Xavier dryly.

"The Dark Lord doesn't really have an army either," offered Lina. "From what I saw, most people go along with things because they're afraid. He's got a dozen people at the Ministry, the rest scattered, only dropping in on people and businesses that aren't toeing the line. If he called people to fight I think it would be limited to his most loyal followers and whoever they'd imperiused to force to fight. Close to thirty or forty as well."

"The damage is done by those who don't want their lives disturbed," said Hawthorne, shaking his head. "You don't need a large force when neighbors are willing to spy and report on each other."

"Do you think it will work?" Kieran asked solemnly, staring at Lina.

"It's certainly something he won't expect. And I think I can arrange it."

"What do we do with the students Snape mentioned?" asked Artemis. "They can't stay in the castle during a fight."

"We'll get whoever we can back to their families and set the rest up with Ellie and Gareth. Artemis can take Ana there as well." said Remus.

Artemis opened her mouth to speak, and Remus held up his hand. "I'm only going to ask once, and then you do what you think is best. Please stay with her." As if on cue, whether from the tension in the room or because her dinner was finished and bedtime fast approaching, Ana began crying from her highchair. Artemis gathered her up and left the room, letting her gaze linger on her husband, who stubbornly refused to look at her and kept his eyes fixed on his teacup.

* * *

Madame Pomfrey neatly dodged the next wave of vomit that hit the floor as she led Amycus and Alecto Carrow to the hospital wing. "There, there," she tutted. "We'll have you fixed up right as rain in no time. What on earth can you two have eaten?"

The Death Eater duo had no chance to respond as they were hit with another wave of nausea. Madame Pomfrey flicked her wand, cleaning up the trail of sick, and if she was a little jovial about it, who could blame her? She'd had to heal numerous wounds for her students since the Carrows arrived, not to mention the upset tummies and headaches and all manner of symptoms that arose from the stress of having those two sadists at teachers. Now that she thought about it, she might just find that she was clean out of her store of nausea remedies. Might need to order some, and who knows how long they would take to arrive with the holiday season in full swing?

* * *

Severus Snape paced three times along the seventh floor corridor, the litany pounding in his head. _I need the room where the children are hiding. I need the room where the children are hiding. I need their safe room. I need…_ Part of him wished he had known of this room as a student. How glorious it would have been to have a secure place to go just for himself, away from the bullying of the Marauders, away from the expectations of his House, the undercurrent of threats for those who wouldn't submit.

So lost was he in his reverie, that the scraping of the door as it appeared in the wall startled him. Severus firmly grasped the handle and yanked the door open, unsurprised to find Neville and Ginny standing with wands drawn, between the younger students and whatever was coming.

"Out," Snape said firmly. "You will walk silently down to the kitchens."

"What about the Carrows?" whispered a younger boy. Snape stared at him. Alastair McIntosh, Ravenclaw, Second Year.

"They are, for the moment, indisposed in the hospital wing." he answered coldly.

"What did you do to them?" the boy asked, wide-eyed.

For a moment, Snape was taken aback. Was that…was that awe in the boy's expression? He swallowed, having neither the time nor the inclination to try and identify the emotion that stirred in his gut.

"Mr. Filch carelessly left his office unlocked, and a stash of Weasleys' Puking Pastels has gone missing. The Carrows tried to deny that they took them, but as they were barely able to speak from the heaving, I find their denial suspect." he answered dryly.

A soft snort of laughter came from somewhere in the back, but was quickly stifled. "Miss Weasley, giving the proclivity of your family to disregard restrictions, I am confident you are able to lead the others downstairs and enter the kitchen. The house elves will see to things from there."

"Yes, sir, Headmaster," Ginny answered, taking the lead, as Neville ushered the rest of the students out after her.

When the students had all left the room, Severus left also, closing the door securely behind him and watching it fade away into the wall. As he stood there, Peeves and the Bloody Baron came up beside him. Snape then began to pace again. Three times up and down the corridor. _I need the place where it's hidden. A safe place to keep something. Show me where things can be safely hidden away. I need the place…_

The wall began to shift and scrape again, revealing a much plainer door. The trio approached, and Snape pulled the door open. He stood there frozen, aghast, at the piles, the mountains, of items that filled the room. Furniture was stacked all over, mounding up on top of each other. A cluster of old racing brooms leaned haphazardly against a cupboard. Paintings and statues that had been stashed away and forgotten littered the place. Everywhere he looked, junk was piled up to a ceiling so high, he could barely make out the rafters.

"Baron," he said after a moment. "Go down to the kitchens and inform the house elves that the students will be spending the night there. They will know where to find sleeping bags. Then ask Sir Nicholas and the Friar to come and help us search. This is going to take a good deal more time than I originally thought."


	87. Chapter 87

Chapter 87 ~ December 21-22, 1997

The Come and Go Room was now the size of a large cathedral, whose high windows were sending shafts of light down upon what looked like a city with towering walls, built of objects hidden by generations of Hogwarts inhabitants. There were alleyways and roads bordered by teetering piles of broken and damaged furniture, stowed away, perhaps, to hide the evidence of mishandled magic, or else hidden by castle-proud house-elves. There were thousands and thousands of books, no doubt banned or graffitied or stolen. There were winged catapults and Fanged Frisbees, some still with enough life in them to hover halfheartedly over the mountains of other forbidden items; there were chipped bottles of congealed potions, hats, jewels, cloaks; there were what looked like dragon eggshells, corked bottles whose contents still shimmered evilly, several rusting swords, and a heavy, bloodstained axe.

Alone in the room, Severus began methodically shifting the odds and ends around. Things that were clearly not the diadem or not where a diadem could be hidden were added to a steadily growing pile on his left. Cupboards, boxes, chests, and anything that could possibly contain the horcrux were placed in a pile to his right to be gone through later. His wand whisked about ceaselessly, items flying around and over his head, so focused on the task he almost missed the sound of the door opening again behind him. Turning to give the ghosts instructions, he was taken aback by the sight of not only the Bloody Baron and Peeves, but Sir Nicholas, the Fat Friar, the Grey Lady herself, and every Hogwarts staff member, sans the still heaving Carrows and Madame Pomfrey.

"We decided more back up was needed," said Peeves cheerfully, enjoying the shock and uneasiness he'd created. "So we told the other teachers the whole story!"

"The whole story…" Snape repeated slowly, watching the other teachers, and Professor McGonagall, in particular, as they alternately looked over the room in amazement and over him in uncertainty.

"Is Peeves' accurate?" Professor McGonagall asked brusquely. "Have you really been working against You-Know-Who the entire time?"

Snape gritted his teeth. "Yes," he ground out, wishing he'd never gotten others involved in this whole affair.

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips. "Well then, please explain what happened with Albus."

"I killed him," Severus spat out. "You already know that."

"Oh, quit being such a ninny!" called a voice from somewhere behind him. Everyone turned to find the source, a painting, tipped sideways and leaning up against a wardrobe. The old wizard in blue robes glared up at him from the edge of the frame. "This is no time to stand on false pride. We all know what's been going on, just tell the rest of them the truth and get on with things."

"I am sure we don't all know what precisely has been going on, Headmaster Trimble, but I quite agree that it is well past time to get on with things," replied McGonagall to the painting. "Well, Severus?" she said sternly, like she'd done numerous times when he was a student.

"The Dark Lord has created horcruxes," he said finally.

There was a shuffling from the back of the group as Professor Slughorn began muttering, "Not my fault. He was such a clever boy. How could I have known he really intended to do it? It wasn't my fault."

"Quiet Horace!" snapped McGonagall impatiently.

"Albus was doomed," interrupted the painting of Trimble again. "He'd taken a curse destroying one of the horcruxes, and only had a short time left. Set it all up, Dumbledore did. Heard the whole thing in his office…or at least, the other portrait of me heard it."

"These horcruxes," Snape continued, "contain a piece of his soul, so that if the Dark Lord is killed in his current form, there remains a way to resurrect him."

There was a murmuring of surprise and horror at the revelation. When they had again quieted, Severus sighed heavily and continued. "Miss Andersson and I were both searching for them. We believe one has been hidden in this room."

"Peeves tells us that Miss Andersson was formerly a student here, and not from Durmstrang as she led us to believe. Were you aware of this the entire time?"

"Yes," he answered slowly, already imagining where their minds were going.

"A student?!" exclaimed Professor Sinistra. "Really Severus, that doesn't seem quite appropriate, as she clearly was young enough to have been in your classes!"

"It. Was. An. Act." Biting out each word, Severus had to restrain himself from blasting them all back out of the door and resuming his search in peace. "She was placed here by Professor Dumbledore so that I could bring her into the Death Eaters undercover."

"What happened to her?" asked Professor Flitwick cautiously. "Peeves said she escaped, but the rumors are that you…you killed her as well."

"Miss Andersson," Snape said in a cold voice, "has left the school and is in hiding. The Dark Lord believes I killed her because Bellatrix Lestrange discovered she was a traitor."

Peeves began cackling over their heads. "Cuckold!" he shrieked, pointing at Snape. "Moldy Voldy thinks you're a cuckold!"

McGonagall flicked her wand at him and a piece of tape was affixed securely over Peeves' mouth. He immediately faded away, the tape fluttering to the floor, and reappeared behind Snape. Peeves stuck his tongue out at her, but kept quiet.

"Clearly there is more to the tale than we have time for," she said primly. "But our first order of business is to find this horcrux. Now, what does it look like?"

"It is my mother's diadem," came a faint, mournful voice. All turned to face the pale ghost, who almost immediately began to fade away under their scrutiny.

"We can end this Helena," the Baron said gruffly, and then paused. "Please," he added in a gentler tone. "You made a mistake, trusted the wrong person. But that doesn't have to be your legacy."

The Grey Lady looked at him strangely. "Aren't your mistakes your only legacy? All they remember of our story is my murder, your suicide. The diadem was forgotten…until Tom came."

"I'm trying to change that legacy, Helena. Please help me."

She was silent for a long moment before saying softly, "It's made of silver and diamonds, fashioned in the shape of a raven with its wings spread. The center is sapphire, with a pendant of two smaller sapphires."

"It's on her statue," piped up Professor Flitwick, who then blushed with the Gray Lady turned her gaze to him. "Your…your mother's statue. In the Ravenclaw Common Room."

"What do we do with it once we've found it?" asked Professor Sprout. "To stop You-Know-Who from using it to come back?"

"It has to be destroyed," answered Severus. "Using basilisk venom, fiendfyre, or the Sword of Gryffindor. There may be additional ways, but those we are certain of."

"Right then," nodded Professor McGonagall, taking charge. "Fan out and start sifting though everything. Pile up what can be immediately discarded and make a separate pile for things that need going over, as Severus has done. Then we'll go through those piles separately."

"We will search from above," stated the Baron, as the ghosts all rose into the air.

"I will expect a full and detailed explanation later on," McGonagall said firmly, her lips pressing tightly together in disapproval. "I don't recall any student attending Hogwarts named Paulina Andersson." Severus gave her a curt nod, and turned his attention back to the mountain of junk before him.

* * *

 _To Whom It May Concern:_

 _I regret to inform you that my adopted father, Oscar Manuel Rodriguez, and his cousin, Luis Alberto Rodriguez, both lost their lives in a tragic accident last week. I offer my deepest apologies that I neglected to inform the head office in Lima immediately, but the political situation in the United Kingdom has made communication difficult._

 _Respectfully,_

Gareth sighed, and after a moment's hesitation, signed it and sealed it up in an envelope, affixing the necessary Muggle postage. There was so much more to say, and no way to say it. How did you begin to explain that the head of the largest silver mining and manufacturing company in the world had been murdered by his cousin and then that same cousin had been killed by a werewolf, who also happened to be the daughter of the head of the company, and by the way all of them were involved in what amounted to the British magical community's civil war. Gareth had seen a copy of Oscar's will once, and everything was to be turned over to him. It was sort of funny. He was the heir to a company he couldn't currently run, and he didn't know which of Oscar's extended family he could trust in the meantime. An empire that had been built over generations could be lost. Of course almost everything was completely out of his control, but Gareth felt like a bit of a failure anyway.

"You look rather serious."

Deirdre's voice startled him, and Gareth almost knocked over his cup of coffee.

"Sorry," she said softly. "Did I interrupt your train of thought?"

"It was probably a train that I needed to derail," he said sheepishly, running a hand through his hair. He made a face as he pulled his hand away. "Do you think Ellie would know how to cut hair? I can't ever get the spell quite right."

"I don't know," she replied, with a small shake of her head. "She's getting the kids settled in bed right now, but you can ask her later."

"Okay." Gareth stood and carried his cup to the sink. "It's getting a little shaggy for me."

"I think it looks nice."

"Yeah?" She didn't say anything else, and with his back to her he was glad she couldn't see the skeptical expression on his face. He couldn't quite figure that girl out. She hadn't picked anymore fights with him, but she didn't throw compliments around either. _Maybe I am a little spoiled_ , he thought with some surprise. Isabel and Daisy tended to be effusive in their compliments and encouragements, like Mamá had been. Now he didn't have anyone around doing that. Ellie and Deirdre both tended to be more reserved with their opinions, _unless they're fed up with me_ , he mentally added, making a face at the sink.

"What were you working on?"

Gareth turned to see her peering down at the envelope. "I realized I probably needed to tell someone at the main office in Peru that Papá had been…that he's gone. And Luis as well."

"Oh. I'm sorry. That probably wasn't an easy letter to write."

"No," he said with a sigh, as he took his seat again at the table and picked up the letter. "No it wasn't. That was what I was thinking when you came in, that I couldn't take over things the way Papá wanted right now, and if everything was going to fall apart."

Deirdre frowned. "But it wouldn't fall apart because of you. It would fall apart because of Oscar's cousin, and You-Know-Who, and this whole stupid, messy war."

"Sometimes truth and feelings don't match," Gareth responded with a shrug. She didn't respond, and after a moment, he glanced up to see her watching him with a studied expression, her arms crossed. "What?" he asked, pushing back his hair again a little self-consciously.

"It just sounds like you're worried about proving yourself again," she said, pulling out a chair and sitting with him.

"I'm not," he said sharply. A pair of eyebrows arched up at his tone, and Gareth grimaced. "At least…I don't think I am. It's more than that. Ever since we decided to come here there was this promise…this dream of what it might look like to be free. Really free. To live and work where I wanted. To be able to have friends and meet people who weren't a part of my pack, didn't even know me as a werewolf. But here I am," he added with a self-deprecating laugh. "And the crazy thing is that Papá sent me here so that I would survive to take over the company, and I don't even know if there's still going to be a company by the time all this is over. I don't know what else Luis was involved with and how tied up the money is with You-Know-Who. I just feel…trapped."

"What do you think Oscar would say if you told him that?" she asked softly.

Shoulders lifted in a helpless sort of shrug, and a hand ran once more through his hair. "He always said he was proud of me, I guess." A third sigh left him. "He would say not to worry about things that I can't change," Gareth admitted.

"Well then…"

Gareth made a face. "Still easier said than done. What sort of words of wisdom did Alec have?"

"He would say, 'Things are worse than they should be and a damn sight better than they could be,'" Deirdre replied promptly, affecting Alec's thick Scottish accent.

Gareth let out a snort and she giggled. "He didn't abide whingeing. Reckoned it was better to just shut your gob and get on with things," she added, and soon the pair of them were trying to stifle their laughter, mindful of the children fast asleep down the hall.

In the midst of her laughter, Deirdre felt her eyes well up with tears and she covered her mouth with her hands to hold in a sob. "I miss them," she whispered.

"Yeah. I miss mine too," Gareth said in a low voice.

"When he'd walk past me sometimes Alec would tug on my ponytail and say, 'Though she be but little, she is fierce,'" Deirdre added with a watery smile. "I don't know where he got that, but he always smiled when he said it, like he was proud of me."

"It's a line from Shakespeare," Gareth offered. "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

"Of course you'd know that," she sighed. "You were locked up on a reservation most of your life and still wound up with a better education than I had."

"We were a little short on entertainment options," he said dryly. "Put on plays a few times a year and you're bound to run through several from Shakespeare. At least with Hawthorne at the helm we did."

The two drifted into silence, both lost in their own memories. Gareth picked at a knot in the scrubbed wooden table top with the edge of his thumbnail. "You know, I've always been a little jealous of Joshua," he offered after a few minutes. _Why did I say that?_

"Why?"

"Dark hair, dark eyes. He looked more like Papá… like he could really belong to them. I felt like the odd man out…blonde hair, blue eyes. Maybe that was why Papá kept reminding me that I was his son, telling me not to forget no matter what anyone else said." He stopped speaking abruptly as the grief threatened to overwhelm him. _I can't sit here crying like a little kid. The real kids need me to hold things together. Why am I sitting here practically begging for reassurance?_

"Isabel told me Oscar walked into that fight knowing what was coming. He was willing to do hard things if they were the right things, willing to do anything for his family. I think you are just like him in all the ways that count." Deirdre said softly.

Gareth swallowed hard. "Thanks," he said in a rough voice. "I…I should get to bed." He stood and quickly left the room before he lost it completely, waiting until he could bury his head in his pillow, releasing all of the grief and frustration he had been holding in for so long. It was the first time in his life he'd had to walk through something without his siblings beside him, and Gareth didn't think he'd ever felt so alone, even though Deirdre had told him exactly what he wanted and needed to hear.

He awoke with a start sometime later, scrambling for his wand in the dark, wondering what time it was and what had woken him, until he noticed the small boy standing in the doorway. Gareth cleared his throat. It was raw and scratchy from his bout of tears and there was a dull pounding headache behind his eyes.

"Sorry, buddy," he said hoarsely. "Did you have another bad dream?"

Cadmus shook his head. "Come here," he said, holding out his hand.

Gareth stood stiffly from his bed, still dressed in jeans and a rumpled shirt, and followed the five year old out into the living room. Ellie was helping the rest of the kids drag pillows and blankets from their room and pile them in the middle of the floor. "What's going on?" he asked, squinting at the clock on the mantle. "I thought you guys were already in bed…"

"We know you miss your family," said Gemma. "So we're making a…a whatever you call it, where you all stay together when you're sad."

Gareth stared at her, dumbfounded. Finn, more accustomed to werewolf slumber parties, transformed, yawned, burrowed down into the blankets happily. The others transformed also, and flopped onto their pillows. Deirdre stepped out of her own room, carrying her pillow and blanket and offered him a tentative smile. "Is this all right?" she asked.

Gareth couldn't answer for a moment, and then simply nodded. Deirdre spread out her blanket and set down the pillow. "Go get your things, then," she chided.

He ducked into his room and grabbed the thick blanket off his bed, returning to the pile of werewolf pups who were almost asleep. Gareth spread his blanket out beside the children and transformed, pawing a little at the blanket until it was bunched up like a nest, and then curled up on top of it with a little sigh. Cadmus crawled over and stretched out beside him, as Colleen nosed her way in between and curled up in a ball near Gareth's chest, tucking herself under his chin.

Colleen butting his chin with her head as she settled down, along with the various scents of the other wolves, was comforting, and he looked over to see Deirdre watching him with large, amber colored eyes. He was sure this had been her idea, and couldn't decide in that moment if he wished he wasn't transformed so he could speak, or thankful he couldn't.

* * *

Flat on his stomach in the patch of bracken, the cold began to seep through his jacket as Xavier squinted though the rifle sight, and tightened his grip. A black figure sprang up to the left and he quickly shifted the gun on its rest and pressed the trigger. The recoil bit into his shoulder and he muffled a curse, wishing he'd asked about the guns months ago. It had been too many years since he'd shot anything. Lina had taken his suggestion and was working on planning an ambush at one of the Death Eater safe houses, and now he was trying to reacclimate himself to something that had once been second nature.

Another figure leaped out from the right and Xavier shifted the rifle and fired again, adjusting the shoulder pressure. Again and again he fired until he was better satisfied with his reaction time and accuracy. Getting stiffly to his feet, he waved down Joshua, who had been launching the dueling dummies from the field below. The dark haired young man began to move about the field, waving his wand to recover and repair the ammunition. After returning the bullets to their casings and boxes, Joshua joined him at the top of the hill and together they made their way back to the farmhouse.

"What's the verdict?" Lina asked as Xavier entered the kitchen, looking up from her sheet of notes.

"Not bad," he nodded. "Russian?"

"Kalashnikov AK-74. I prefer Russian."

"We missed a lot of changes on the res after the Iron Curtain fell," Xavier said with a rueful smile. "Gotta say it feels a little odd to think I'm using a Commie rifle."

Lina smirked. "Just aim for the torso, and any errors in range estimation will be negligible."

"We'd say 'tactically irrelevant,'' he corrected in his quiet voice, one side of his mouth quirking up slightly. "It'll do the job."

"Good. You can pick off the ones trying to escape once we stir up the nest."

"You really think it will work?"

"My plans always work."

"That confidence is so attractive, don't you think?" Sirius interrupted from the doorway, smiling broadly.

Lina rolled her eyes at him as Xavier moved to the counter to pour himself a cup of coffee. "It makes for a good leader," he acknowledged, turning and giving Sirius a nod.

"We're ready for the briefing," Sirius said. "Everyone's in the living room."

Lina nodded and gathered up her papers, following him. She unfurled a large diagram of an estate, lawns and gardens surrounding a manor house, and used a spell to suspend the parchment in midair. "This will be a hit and run. The goal here is to generate fear, chaos, and if we're lucky, take out a few of the Dark Lord's top men. Since Sirius and I have both been on the premises before, we'll take lead and try to flush them out of the house. Kieran and Joshua will strike from the flanks, their fur blends best in the dark. Xavier will be positioned here," she added using her wand to indicate a slope at the edge of the sweeping lawn. "Anyone trying to flee will have to get to within a hundred feet of the property line to disapparate. He will pick them off before they get to that point. Any questions so far?"

"What about me?" Artemis asked, holding up her wand. "If Remus is going to be setting up things at Hogwarts I can—"

"That won't be necessary," Lina interrupted with a calm voice. "You and Ana can stay with Ellie and the others like you planned."

A mulish expression crossed Artemis' face. "I haven't planned anything yet. I'm perfectly willing to continue to alternate missions, but setting up defenses at Hogwarts doesn't really constitute a mission. Remus will be perfectly safe, and—"

"No. There is no guarantee that getting people into the castle is completely safe, and I can promise you that hitting the Malfoy Estate is not safe at all."

"But I have a duty to—"

"You have a duty to your child."

Her blue eyes flashed at the subtle rebuke. "Isn't it part of my duty to her to make sure she can grow up safely?!" Artemis exclaimed. "In a world where You-Know-Who doesn't exist?!"

"Evil will always exist. What will make your daughter feel safest is having you there," Lina responded placidly.

"Rosa fought for her children."

The atmosphere in the room was thick with tension, everyone looking uncomfortably away from the argument. Indeed, Lina was pretty sure that if she were to take a poll, no one in the room was completely certain what their own opinion was on the matter. Artemis was an exceptional fighter, probably the best she'd ever worked with, but there was no way anyone was getting out of this war without regrets, and she could feel the consequences of an emotion-fueled decision rippling away over the years. Artemis wasn't taking into account the decades her husband had already lived with the fallout from Voldemort's first campaign, and Remus wasn't willing to hold firm on his own convictions when confronted with her impassioned pleas. Not yet anyway. They simply hadn't been married long enough to have learned how to have those hard discussions effectively.

Taking a deep breath, Lina fixed her oldest friend with a piercing stare, and in that instant everyone could see how Lina had held her own as a Death Eater. Her voice became icy and determined, without a hint of compassion. "Rosa's children are grown. You are focusing too much on your own need to try to fix things. Remus may not be willing to stand up to you yet, but I most certainly am. This is not up for discussion. It's my op, and I'm sidelining you."

Artemis lapsed into a stunned silence, but to her credit didn't yell back in frustration or storm out of the room in a pout. Lina knew the jab about her needing to fix things was harsh, but someone had to step in and say it. And now she could be the bad guy instead of Remus.

Turning back to the diagram of the estate, she caught Sirius watching her with a thoughtful expression. She flung the map of the estate to the floor and replaced it with one of the Forbidden Forest. "Hogsmeade is locked down, so we'll be bringing recruits in through the forest from the Muggle side. The first thing is to make contact with the centaurs. Let them know what we're doing and ask for them to allow us safe passage. Anyone want to volunteer for that? It will need a certain finesse, as the centaurs don't like dealing with humans."

"Charlie could do it," said George from his spot on the floor.

Fred nodded in agreement. "Our Charlie has always been more comfortable with animals than people. He's a good bet."

"Excellent. When your parents arrive we'll ask them to set that up. Your father and Kingsley are probably the best ones to gather all the Order members and anyone else who might agree to help. Once we have a path set through the forest, you younger werewolves will be in charge of leading people up to the castle. We'll scent mark it to make sure you don't get lost. Remus will coordinate with the staff to start adding extra defenses to the castle. Harry, you and the others will focus on finding the last horcrux."

Lina looked around the room at the sixteen pairs of eyes watching her. "At the risk of sounding melodramatic, this is it. Find the last horcurx. Destroy it. Lure the Dark Lord out, and finish him."

"Well, that's dramatic, but I don't think I'd call it melodramatic," piped Fred. "What do you think, George?"

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Fred."

Lina shot them a sardonic glance. "Good. I consider melodrama a Gryffindor trait. I'd hate to think all of you were rubbing off on me."

"Touché!" beamed Fred. "Well, back to Hoggy Woggy Hogwarts we go, then!"

* * *

The amber firewhiskey swirled around the glass slowly. Part of him wanted to down it, and then pour another, and another until he simply passed out. That was what he'd done one night after a particularly vicious altercation with some Slytherins their seventh year at Hogwarts. Of course, he wasn't eighteen anymore. He was approaching forty, and surely by now one should have faced and dealt with one's character flaws.

 _Remus may not be willing to stand up to you yet, but I most certainly am._

He took a sip of the liquid, feeling it burn down his throat, and began swirling in the opposite direction. Being of a more introverted temperament was not a character flaw. But allowing himself to be caught in the wake of other, more exuberant personalities might be. Wasn't that where he'd always struggled with James? In the face of Prongs' enthusiasm and dominating persona, he'd almost always given in. Any protestations on his part were usually ignored, or argued against with such fervor that he backed down.

The door swung open and the lamps began to glow cheerfully as Sirius entered his studio, unaware of its current occupant.

"I'd prefer the lights remain off," Remus said gruffly.

Sirius jumped. "Merlin's knickers, mate! You about gave me a heart attack. Why are you sitting here in the dark? Never mind, scratch that. I know why. You're brooding about Lina's comment." He doused the lights and slouched down in the chair beside Remus, sighing heavily. "I don't think you need to take it so hard."

"But it's clearly an issue, isn't it? I love her, and so I can't stand up for what I believe is important for fear of rocking the boat."

"Look, I adore Kitten, you know I do. But she's determined and outgoing, so you need to be just as determined. And you do stand up to her sometimes. You put a swamp in her room."

"That doesn't strike you as slightly juvenile and passive aggressive?" Remus asked dryly. "She wouldn't listen to me, and rather than address it with reasoning and some semblance of maturity I decided to pull a rather desperate prank to shock her and force her into doing things my way."

Sirius leaned over and pulled the glass from his hand. "Is it any better that right now you're sitting here in the dark telling all this to me instead your wife?"

Remus only grunted in response, and Sirius stood to his feet. "Just go talk to her. Tell her the truth. Tell her that we lost everything the first time around and it's scares the hell out you to think you might lose everything again. And if you can't do that, at least go shag her senseless. You'll both feel better."

Grabbing his drink back, Remus tossed the rest of the firewhiskey down his throat. "How do you even do that?" he asked, shaking his head in exasperation. "How do you manage to give decent advice and make ridiculous suggestions in the same breath?"

Sirius smiled charmingly. "It's a gift. And don't knock it 'til you've tried it."

Remus huffed and unfolded his long frame from the chair. "Well I'll try the first suggestion. No promises on the second," he retorted as he left the room.

Sirius flicked the lights back on and shot a glance at James' portrait. "This is your fault," he said pointing at him. "You never listened to Moony."

James pulled a face and gestured back toward Sirius.

"Yeah, I didn't listen either," he sighed. "We both messed up, mate. And I know you can't be here, but… I'm listening to him this time. Maybe that can make up for it a little."

* * *

The door creaked slightly as he entered their bedroom. Ana turned over in her bed, making a soft sleepy sound. He went to her first, tucking the blanket more tightly around her and affectionately running his hand over her fuzzy black hair. Then toeing off his shoes, he sank into the armchair beside her cot. In the glow of the bedside lamp, Artemis was curled up on her side of the bed, twisting her wedding ring around and around on her finger. Neither spoke for a long time.

"When we got married I promised you my life and my future," she finally whispered. "And then when you were trying to tell me what to do with my life and my future I resented it. I didn't realize I was putting my promise to fight darkness above my promise to you."

"I didn't think of it that way," he said honestly. "And I hope you know I didn't ask Lina to do that…or to say any of those things."

"I know. That never occurred to me. For Lina to say that, she meant it. Are you…are you really afraid of standing up to me?"

Remus scrubbed a hand over his face. "I have a hard time confronting people I love," he admitted.

"So you would have let things go on as they were and not been able to tell me how you really felt?"

"Artemis, you've only been involved in this war for a couple years. But for me…it's tainted my entire life. I'm not certain I can put it all into words. When You-Know-Who was defeated the first time people celebrated for days. The Ministry's Obliviators were pulling double shifts to cover up all the magic that was happening in front of Muggles. People were so giddy with relief. And I felt…I felt dead inside. I had lost everything that mattered to me. And Harry…" his voice began to break a little, and he stopped to try and collect himself.

"Harry," he finally continued in a lower voice, "was left with people who didn't want him and didn't understand or appreciate what he was. Not because he was the child who defeated the Dark Lord, but because he was a child with magic, a child who had been loved and wanted. And it never would have occurred to James or Lily that Harry would have been left alone like that. How could it? They thought they were hidden. And if something happened to them there was Sirius and Peter, and Alice and Frank. I can't bear the thought that something similar might happen to my daughter. That she would grow up surrounded by people who didn't understand her magic or her lycanthropy. That she would ever feel unwanted or unloved because one of us wasn't there." His face crumpled, and Artemis climbed quickly down from the bed, dropping to her knees beside him and grabbing frantically for his hands.

"I'm so sorry," she breathed, her eyes filling with tears. "I'm sorry I've been so stupid about the whole thing. I didn't realize…"

Remus took a deep breath, using the heel of his hand to wipe away his tears. "You weren't stupid. And I'm sorry I didn't try to talk to you sooner."

"I'll take Ana and go stay with the others, just as soon as the house is closed up."

He reached out and cupped her cheek his hand, brushing away her tears with his thumb. "I promised you my life and my future too. I want us to decide what to do with those together."

"I think we already did. She's lying in the crib right there, and I'm her mother. That's…that's kind of sacred, isn't it?"

"I think it is."

Remus stood from the chair pulling Artemis to her feet, and kissed her, savoring the tender moment. As he let his lips move to her cheek and along her jaw to her neck, she breathed out a soft, surprised gasp and he scooped her into his arms, carrying her the few steps to their bed. Maybe he'd use Sirius' second suggestion after all.

* * *

It was well past breakfast time the next morning before he spotted it, making slow rounds up and down the pathways and alleys between stacks of miscellany. The large cupboard seemed to have had acid thrown at its blistered surface. It held a chipped bust of an ugly old warlock, and perched on the warlock's head, was a tarnished tiara. The Baron swooped closer to be sure. A raven, wings spread, with a sapphire pendant. It was nestled into a dusty wig someone had placed on Paracelsus' head. The Baron allowed himself a small smirk at that. He well remembered the time the old Alchemist had visited Hogwarts as a guest lecturer. Bombastic blowhard, was what Headmistress Skanderberg had called him, even though she'd appreciated his attempts to integrate magic with Muggle medicine.

The Baron began to make his way to where Headmaster Snape was now digging through cupboards and chests in his section of the room. He took careful notes of the location; left at an enormous stuffed troll, down a short way, right at a Vanishing Cabinet. "I have found it," he proclaimed in a deep voice.

Snape looked up at him. "Show me."

Weaving his way back, the Baron halted in front of the cupboard and gestured to the statue. Snape stepped forward and gingerly removed the diadem. He turned in over his hands, running his long fingers over the silver raven's beak and the large blue sapphire.

"Yes, this is it," he said softly.

"I shall inform Helena," the Baron stated.

"Yes," Snape said, "I will secure this in my office. Tell the others to meet me there."

The Baron nodded curtly before vanishing.

 _Sssseverus Ssssnape_

Severus froze at the sound.

 _Why are you trying to be something you are not? There is nothing good or heroic about you._

His eyes darted around, almost hoping it was Peeves whispering at him from behind some furniture. But a loud cackle and a shout from Professor Flitwick indicated Peeves was at the other end of the room. His lips thinned in displeasure as he studied the ancient crown. Tucking it into a deep pocket of his robes, he made his way out of the room and hurried down the hall to the Headmaster's office. As he reached the door the ghostly shape of a fox barred his way. It opened its mouth as if it were barking, and Lina's crisp voice echoed off the stone walls.

 _Arrival at eight this evening to escort students out._

 _We will then take control of the castle._

 _Remove anyone in opposition._

His dark eyes glittered. All hidden deeds would be shortly coming to light.

* * *

** Author's Note ** Description of the Room of Requirement was taken verbatim from Harry Potter and the Half Blood Price. I hope each of you had a lovely holiday season! Like Snape faced with the searching the room for the horcrux, this story is taking longer than I thought. ;) We can't just hurry the plot along without having the characters deal with some of their issues, can we? Thank you so much for continuing to read along!


	88. Chapter 88

Chapter 88 ~ December 22, 1997

Snape set the diadem on the center of his desk and looked up to the meet the self-satisfied gaze of Albus Dumbledore's portrait.

"We found the last horcrux."

The portrait became at once sad and uneasy. "No Severus," he said gently. "It is not quite the last."

"What do you mean? The necklace, the cup and the snake have all been destroyed. This diadem was the last remaining."

"There is another. One I did not wish to disclose until the very end."

Severus forced away the urge to blast the painting out of his frame. Curse that man and his secrets! "What do you mean?" he repeated coldly.

"Harry is himself a horcrux," said Dumbledore. "When the curse rebounded on Tom Riddle in Godric's Hollow, a piece of his soul latched itself onto Harry. And while that fragment of soul remains attached to and protected by Harry, Tom Riddle cannot die."

"So then the boy must die…be destroyed like the other horcruxes," Snape said, his voice indicating a calm he certainly did not feel. In fact, he felt as though he might be sick.

"But he must be the last."

"You weren't going to ever tell me about the horcruxes," Severus said slowly. "You said you didn't want all your secrets in one basket that dangled off the Dark Lord's arm. Did you really expect Harry to handle everything by himself?"

"When I realized I could not help Harry through to the end, I did ask Miss Laurent for her assistance, and I did assume she would tell you of the horcruxes eventually. And knowing Harry, I was certain he would arrange matters so that when he did set out to meet his death, it would truly mean the end of Riddle."

"He's a boy!" Severus burst out. "A child! A child we protected so that he could die at the proper moment?! We've led him like a sheep to slaughter! A sacrifice!"

"Why so disturbed, Severus? I thought the boy to be a burden to you."

"You are a fool," Snape spat at him. "You make your plans and arrange other people's lives with no thought for…

"I assure you I gave it a great deal of thought," said Dumbledore sternly. "It is unfortunate, but sometimes things cannot be helped. Harry's link to Tom Riddle is one of those things."

Snape sank dumbfounded into his chair. All these years…all these years trying to keep that boy safe. All these years submitting to every whim of the great Albus Dumbledore. And for what? To watch Harry Potter die in the end? To see Lily's son, the thing she gave her life for, be turned over to darkness so that the last vestige of Voldemort would be destroyed forever?

Severus was furious and…and disappointed. For the first time in his life he had held on to a tentative hope that someday things might be different. Someday he might not have to agonize over his mistakes and regrets.

Any desire to rant and rage against the portrait was interrupted by the arrival of the rest of the Hogwarts staff and ghostly inhabitants. They filed into the office and gathered around his desk, looking at the tarnished old tiara with a mixture of curiosity and disgust.

"Well then," began Professor McGonagall. "I believe you owe us an explanation. Who is Miss Andersson, what have you been up to, and what do we do from here on out?"

Severus stood, facing them from the other side of the desk. How much did he really need to explain? The last last year? The last three? The last twenty? He caught Dumbledore's eye watching him from the painting, and was filled with a kind of righteous indignation. Here at the end of things, he was actually the one who had operated with more transparency, perhaps even more integrity. _Well, let's not get too carried away_ , he cautioned himself.

"I have been a spy for Dumbledore since the first war," Severus began in a low voice. "Since I realized the Dark Lord's intention to target the Potters. After the incident with the Chamber of Secrets five years ago, Dumbledore became aware of the possibility that the Dark Lord had created these horcruxes. He had been searching for them since, and after he took the curse that Headmaster Trimble described last night, brought in additional eyes. Miss Andersson was a former student here named Evangeline Laurent. She not only was looking for the horcruxes, but also was to infiltrate the Death Eaters so that we could attempt some sabotage from within."

"Merlin's beard!" breathed Professor Flitwick.

"You said this diadem was one of the horcruxes," said Professor Sinestra. "Do we need to be searching for others?"

"This was the last." Severus paused as the lie of the statement hit him anew. "The last to be found."

"Does that mean You-Know-Who can be defeated?"

"It means he is mortal. He is still the most powerful wizard in the world, and not to be underestimated."

"Then what else can we do?" asked Professor McGonagall.

"There are currently a handful of students hiding in the kitchen. I have temporarily removed the Carrows, but we must ensure they will stay out of the way until we can send the students somewhere safe. Others that Dumbledore assembled to fight the Dark Lord will be arriving this evening to take over the castle as the base of their operations. Anyone who wishes to fight may join them. Anyone who wishes to leave may do so as well, but I will obliviate today from their memories."

There was stunned silences as the staff chewed over that information. Finally Professor McGonagall gave a stiff nod. "Right then. We will begin reinforcing the castle's defenses. Pomona, will you inform Hagrid of these developments?" She turned to leave and then spun back around. "With Hogsmeade on lockdown, how are they planning to arrive?"

"Miss Laurent has not read me in on the details, but based on previous interactions I would assume a penchant for the Forbidden Forest."

McGonagall narrowed her eyes. "Yes. I seem to remember meeting her there myself once, along with a certain infamous hippogriff," she added, the hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth. "Pomona, you'd better ask Hagrid to tell the centaurs to be on the lookout. We wouldn't want anyone wandering into their territory trying to make their way here."

The Herbology professor nodded and left the office, the rest of the staff filing out behind her to begin adding defensive enchantments to their school, their home. "Severus," Professor McGonagall said quietly from the doorway, "I'm…relieved that Albus' faith in you was not misplaced."

Snape gave her a curt nod. Yes, naturally the opinion of the great Albus Dumbledore was paramount. He sank into his chair, catching that same man watching him warily from his picture frame.

* * *

It was barely controlled chaos as the household began to pack for their third move in the last year. Even though people tried to talk her out of it, Isabel insisted on shrinking and carefully packing up all the instruments, arguing that the radio broadcasts could easily continue from the castle, and people would need the music to lighten the mood.

Catherine had a slightly harder time surrendering her beloved animals. Matthew Roberts, the owner of the fruit orchards where Gareth and the others were staying, agreed to taken them all, and Xavier was certain he'd never forget the image of a dozen hens levitating up and into a waiting crate, Joshua focusing intently, as he'd apparently taken it as a personal challenge to move them all at once rather than one at a time. A faint smirk crossed his face when they'd all been secured in the crate and he disapparated with a pop, dropping the still fussing hens off at the Roberts' farm. He reappeared a moment later and moved to take Mathilda's lead from Catherine.

"I'm not sure how easy it's going to be to apparate a cow," she said worriedly.

"Well, I've done a couple werewolves," Joshua shrugged. "At least she won't be trying to kill me."

"But that's not the same thing at all!" she protested. "Mathilda will be terrified, and then if you land wrong she could break a leg or something."

Xavier came up and laid a hand on her shoulder, "Cat, this is the best we can do. There's not time to find a trailer and drive her over to Lancashire."

Catherine nodded, barely holding in tears. It was a silly thing to cry over, but she knew her tears were less about the cow and more about the fact that she was fearful about what was coming. "I'll come with you," she said, rubbing her hand soothingly on Mathilda's forehead.

"Of course. It will be fine," Joshua said reassuringly. "I'll be careful, I promise. Just sort of jump away from her when you land so she doesn't step on you. And Ellie will be there to heal her if anything happens."

Catherine flung one arm over the gentle beast's neck, and laid her other hand on Joshua shoulder. The cracking sound of the disapparation was accompanied by a sick twisting sensation in her stomach. As frequently as she used Side-Along Apparation to travel with her magical family, it still made her nauseated.

They landed in the pasture a hundred yards or so away from the barn, Mathilda letting out a frightened bellow. Joshua hit and rolled clear of her hooves, but Catherine hesitated, and one thousand pounds of panicky dairy cow promptly stepped on her foot. Joshua immediately ran over when she yelped, and helped her limp over to the house.

"Hi Cat!" Finn yelled, running towards them. "I halp take care of the shick'ns!"

"That's right," Catherine answered, grimacing at the pain. "You can help with the chickens. Is your mama around? I need some help. That silly Mathilda stepped on my foot."

Joshua deposited Catherine in a chair and began calling for Ellie. Finn squatted down beside Catherine, poking her booted foot curiously.

"Oh, please don't do that!" she cringed. "I'm afraid it really, really hurts."

Finn looked up at her with wide eyes and very, very slowly and gently laid a hand on the top of her foot. He then wrinkled up his nose and stared hard at the boot. To Catherine's surprise, the pain began to diminish and finally left. She wiggled her foot experimentally and then cautiously slipped off the boot. Finn leaned over to peer at her foot, and then looked up at her happily. "All better?" he asked.

She breathed a soft laugh. "Yeah, sweetie. I think it's all better.

"How ever did you get that boot off?" Ellie asked from the doorway. She came in and ran her wand over Catherine's foot. "You should have waited to remove the boot with magic in case we need to set the bones…but it doesn't seem to be broken. In fact I'm not even detecting any bruising."

"Finn healed it," Catherine smiled, reaching out to tousle the little boy's hair.

Ellie beamed at her before looking down at her son. "Did you, now, Finn? Trying to do me out of a job, are you? I'll bet you make a wonderful Healer when you're grown up."

Finn smiled and stood up, grabbing his mother's hand. "Let's see the shick'ns," he said, pulling her towards the door.

Catherine pulled her boot back on and followed them out. Xavier had just appeared with Hermione, who had her arms full of Crookshanks, his squashed face peering out from her arms as his nose worked overtime categorizing the new smells.

They went to work getting the animals settled comfortably. Gemma had taken charge of Crookshanks and the beast was now curled up happily in her bed, not at all concerned with his change of address or his canine housemates. Joshua released the chickens from their crate into the yard, sprinkling some feed down as they clucked and fussed at him, mildly outraged by their treatment.

Catherine led Mathilda into the barn, and Xavier began forking hay into the trough attached to the gate. The cow lowed loudly, swishing her tail as if to inform them that she had been very poorly used, and she knew it. Catherine smiled and climbed up on the gate to lean over and scratch her head.

"Poor girl," she cooed. "Nobody knows how hard you have it, do they?"

Xavier snorted. "We should all be as spoiled as that cow," he murmured, shaking his head.

"Well," Catherine said slowly. "Maybe after this war is over I'll have a chance to spoil you."

Xavier raised an eyebrow at her, and Catherine blushed. "I guess I'm not that great at flirting," she said, ducking her head a little. "I just…I just wanted to tell you that I…that I love you. You know, without somebody trying to kill us. I know things are crazy right now, and it's probably still not an ideal time, but…"

"Wait," Xavier said softly. "You take the lead on most of our serious conversations, and I have something I want to say."

Catherine nodded, watching him hesitantly.

"I thought I loved you," he began seriously. "I thought I loved that girl I knew from the reservation. But seeing the woman you have become since we moved to England…seeing your courage and determination, your strength. I fell in love all over again. And when this war is over with, I would like us to think about and discuss the possibility of maybe getting married."

Catherine swallowed, her heart racing. "I don't have to think about it," she blurted out. "I would like that more than anything."

A soft smile creased his face, as he leaned the pitchfork against the wall. "Well, I still want you to think about it when we aren't under so much pressure. Without the stress of battles and wondering whether each day might be our last. You might find out you want something different in peace time."

"I really wish you'd quit trying to talk me out of choosing you," she huffed. "And I was kind of hoping you might try to kiss me properly."

"I would like very much to kiss you properly," he said quietly. Stepping closer he brushed a lock of her hair back. Her eyes fluttered closed expectantly as he leaned in. The soft touch of his lips against hers was as fleeting as a butterfly wing, and Catherine was almost disappointed until he kissed her again, still gentle, but more intense, hungry.

She pulled away abruptly as her lungs remembered to breathe, and she stared at him, her brown eyes wide with a sudden understanding. This man _wanted_ her. And she felt all at once very young and naïve.

Xavier must have sensed her uncertainty, and immediately took a step backwards, watching her as if she were a frightened horse that might bolt. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I should have waited. I—"

Catherine made a frustrated sound. "Don't apologize. I just asked you to kiss me. It's not your fault that I didn't realize…" Her voice trailed off as she also realized she didn't know how to explain what she felt. He had kissed her and suddenly become so very, very _male,_ the years separating their ages and maturity seemed a chasm. She was just a girl, an inexperienced girl that really didn't know the first thing about men. Real men.

"Didn't realize what?"

"It's just a little overwhelming," she said softly. "Part of what I love about you is that you are…adult. I mean, you're steady and thoughtful about things, and I guess I didn't think about that coming through experience. And…well, I guess I just…it sounds stupid, but I didn't really think about what that meant in regards to us…" Her face was quickly heating up as she fumbled about for the right words.

"You're worried that I have more experience than you do in a…in an intimate sense. Is that it?"

Catherine was grateful in that moment that Xavier usually understood her thoughts no matter how many or few words she spoke, and nodded a little sheepishly.

He stared down at the straw strewn barn floor, crossing his arms over his chest. "I uh, guess I could've mentioned it before, but it didn't seem quite…appropriate to talk about." Lifting his head, he met her gaze openly, his own cheeks slightly flushed as he chose his words. "Cat, I was scarcely older than you are now when I was sent to the reservation. And before that I wasn't really the type to…to fool around. I kissed my prom date goodnight. And that summer we made out one night by Lake Tomahawk." A self-deprecating smile appeared and Xavier broke eye contact as he added, "And I may have fled a Lebanese brothel in terror to the utter disdain of some of my fellow Marines. So while I do have more life experience than you do, I don't have quite as much…other experience as you might be assuming."

"Oh," she said, in a small voice. "Well that's…good. I mean…you're the first…I know you know that, at least, I hope you did…that you're the only man I've kissed. And the first time…in the woods when you were trying to get me to leave…that kiss felt sort of…angry and then today it started sweet…and then felt maybe…like you wanted…more. And I know I'm not saying this well, but each kiss sort of said something different, and I thought you'd probably done it a lot…kissing girls, I mean."

"I haven't," he said softly, shaking his head.

"I'm glad," she said, the statement coming out a little more firmly than she'd intended as she gathered up her courage. "Because we can learn together. Whether this war is over soon or whether it drags on and on, I'm choosing you. I don't need to meet anyone else or kiss anyone else or…or try on anyone else to know that I'm still only going to want you."

Catherine had been moving closer as she spoke, and now reached for his hand, holding it between her own. Xavier let his calloused fingertips trace over the slight mark under her jaw, a permanent reminder of the hours her chin rested against her violin. "If you're really sure," he whispered, leaning down to place a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I am," she sighed. "I don't want any new experiences that you aren't a part of."

* * *

Artemis arranged their belongings in the small room that had been tacked on to the house beside the kitchen, trying to keep her hands and head busy so she didn't focus on the goodbye that was coming. It felt different than the goodbyes that were said when one of them left on an assignment, more permanent. She tried to shake away the thought. Not permanent, just a longer assignment.

The idea of staying behind still bothered her. Artemis no longer knew exactly how to label herself. She'd been a teacher, a MCUSA minion, a vigilante, a prisoner, a persona non grata, a freedom fighter. But two little words had changed everything. Changed the very way she interacted with the world and saw herself. Wife. Mother. Her life, her decisions, her body no longer completely belonged to her alone. Every choice she made affected the two people she loved above all else. And so this time she would let him leave alone. She would let him fight for his country and his people while she remained behind, to care for what he loved above all else.

A tear traced its way down her cheek, and she brushed it away impatiently. There would be plenty of time for that later. Now she needed to focus on remaining hopeful.

"We're ready to go," Remus said softly from the doorway.

Artemis nodded and picked up Ana, who was quickly crawling to her father. The little family walked out into the yard where the others were saying their goodbyes. She watched Gareth hug his brother and sisters, his jaw tight as he tried to smile at them. He didn't like being left behind anymore than she did. Remus ran his hand over Ana's hair and leaned down to kiss her forehead, before wrapping both of them in his arms. Artemis relaxed into his embrace, feeling the steady thump of his heartbeat beneath her cheek. "I love you," she whispered. "I'll wait for you forever."

Remus pulled away and gazed at her, his blue eyes determined. "You won't have to. I almost lost you once. It's not going to happen again."

And she didn't tell him that was a ridiculous thing to promise. She didn't remind him to be careful or tell him to stay safe. She simply kissed him and smiled, and then watched him leave, as wives and mothers have always stood and watched their beloveds head off to war, some fated never to return.

* * *

Severus Snape, current Headmaster of Hogwarts, stood in the Entrance Hall of his school, watching the people begin to file inside. Apart from seeing Sirius Black and Artemis in the sky over Privet Drive last June, he had not faced the other Order members, the people who knew him as the murderer of Albus Dumbledore, the people he supposedly betrayed. The Americans were unfazed by the situation, pausing on their way in to nod at him or oddly enough clap him on the shoulder. The British Wizarding Community was another story. The Weasley's filed by, not making eye contact, as did most of the other Order members. Hermione looked at him with a sort of worried hope, and Harry…Harry looked like he couldn't decided whether to curse him or pretend he didn't exist.

Finally, last through the doors, sauntering in like an adored prodigal son, came Sirius Black. Making his way straight for him, Severus was uncertain if he should prepare to defend himself or not. But Black hadn't drawn his wand. Instead he stepped close and skewed Snape with his gaze, his grey eyes intense. "Snape," he drawled slowly. "How was it, honestly, having Lina here?"

Severus narrowed his eyes. What sort of a question was that? Did he want to know how she handled her classes, how she behaved at Death Eater meetings? How—

"Must have been quite the temptation, beautiful woman like that…red hair…"

Ah. That was what he wanted to know. Typical. "I can assure you that my…relationship with Miss Laurent was strictly professional," he answered icily.

"Now, really, Severus, that almost hurts my feelings," came Lina's voice, echoing through the hall, sarcastic and teasing. "Surely we'd moved past stark professionalism?"

And damn it if he couldn't help that he almost smiled. "I suppose one could say we are…friends," he amended, a little shocked and strangely pleased that Black smiled at the statement.

"Listen, um…Severus," Black began in a lower voice. "I wanted to say thank you, for keeping an eye on her."

Snape merely gave him a quick nod. Lina hardly needed looking after, but it had been a delicate and dangerous operation, and he too had found it helpful to know someone was there watch his back.

Rather than move on, Black stayed, staring at him, looking a little uneasy. "I also…uh…I wanted to say…I wanted to apologize," he said in a rush, as if the words needed to be uttered as quickly as possible before he changed his mind. "For what happened…at school…For, for being a first class prat. I don't know that things could have been different, but I know now that there was a lot we did wrong. And I'm sorry."

Severus Snape was rarely speechless. Indeed, it was a source of pride to him that he was both quick and clever with a turn of phrase. But this…never would he have imagined these words coming from the mouth of Sirius Black. Part of him wanted to reply, to offer his own apology for running to Voldemort with that prophecy, for being the cause of Harry's abandonment, maybe even for turning Black in after the debacle in the Shrieking Shack four years ago. But the words stuck in his throat and all he could manage was another nod.

Having said his piece, Black seemed content to move on, walking quickly to catch up to the Americans, and began loudly giving them a guided tour of the castle as they followed a house elf to the rooms that had been prepared for them.

Snape turned to see Lupin watching him with a half smile he then tried to hide. "I suppose we could bare our souls as well," he said lightly. "You could apologize for outing me as a werewolf to the students, and I could apologize for dressing a Boggart version of you in drag."

"Perhaps we should start with merely avoiding poorly veiled animosity," Severus said wearily. "Congratulations on your wedding, by the way."

"Thank you. I'd like to meet with you and Professor McGonagall to go over the castle's defenses and see where we need to add additional layers for security."

"Yes. She has already begun working on that. We can meet later this evening, after the students have been dealt with."

Lupin nodded and began to walk toward the staircases as well.

"Lupin," called Snape suddenly, and Remus turned back quizzically. "Your daughter," he said, the faintest hint of a smile appearing and disappearing. "Her name was written in the Book of Admittance just last week. Her classes will begin September of 2008."

The smile that spread across Remus' face was a sight to behold. He opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again, shaking his head with a sort of amazed delight. "Thank you, Severus," he said, and finally huffing a soft laugh, he nodded at Snape, a genuine, friendly gesture and began his trek up the stairs.

* * *

With the equipment and instruments set up to kick off the first broadcast from the castle, George Weasley finally had a moment to drag Isabel away from the activity. "Come on," he whispered, pulling her towards the stairs. "I want to show you something."

They climbed flight after flight of stairs, Isabel jumping in surprise once as one staircase began to pull away from the wall as she stepped on it, rotating in the exact opposite direction they'd been heading. "This seems a pretty idiotic way of making sure kids get to class on time," she observed, as they walked down a long hallway, trying to get back towards the direction George wanted to go.

"But it keeps life interesting," he said philosophically.

Isabel shook her head. "How can you focus on learning things when you have to worry about the actual place you live trying to kill you?"

"Chinese Chomping Cabbage!" George announced abruptly, stopping in front of a large painting of an enormous woman in a pink silk dress.

"I remember you," the painting said eyeing him. "A Weasley. Haven't you finished school by now?"

"Left with flying colours," George said glibly. "I'm just here showing a friend around. She's never seen the Gryffindor Common Room."

"And just what house are you in?" the Fat Lady asked imperiously, scanning Isabel up and down.

"Howling Commandos," replied Isabel promptly. "House of the Wolf."

George snickered as the Fat Lady shot him a suspicious glance. "American are you? I'm sure I've never heard of that house, but I suppose, since he's a Gryffindor and you know the password…" Her voice became muffled as she swung herself open and George grabbed Isabel's hand, helping her climb through.

"Wow!" she breathed, spinning around the room as she took in all the tapestries and overstuffed chairs and the enormous fireplace. "You really lived in a castle! This place is enormous!"

"That's what I thought the first time I came," George admitted. "So much bigger than the Burrow."

"But it's cozy like the Burrow," Isabel said, examining a painting and letting her hand run over the back of the couches. "Where do the stairs go?"

"Those are to the girls' dorms. Boys' dorms are on the other side."

"Do you think we could peek at the rooms?"

"I can't go up to the girls' dorms. The stairs turn into a slide when a bloke tries to go up."

"Really?" Isabel giggled. "Show me."

"What? Risk life and limb for your amusement?" George asked, feigning outrage.

Isabel's lips twitched up in a mischievous smile. "Oh I think I could find a way to make it worth your while."

George narrowed his eyes at her and very slowly and deliberately stepped onto the first stair. It immediately reshaped itself into an incline, and he slid the couple inches to the floor. "Satisfied?"

"Oh no," she said, shaking her head. "You'll have to do better than that."

He moved to the second step, and slid down again, his eyebrows arched quizzically.

"Nope," she said. "I don't think you really are interested in what I might offer you."

"We'll see about that," he retorted, quickly taking the steps two at a time. He made it up to the eighth one before they changed, and he slid back once more, his arms thrown out to the walls for balance, and landing smugly upright at her feet.

Isabel looked from him to the stairs and back again, furrowing her brow. "Just how many times have you done that?" she asked.

George almost laughed at the hint of jealousy in her voice. "Not that many. It was a matter of honor to learn how."

Her face was skeptical. "So you haven't…what's the word you guys use? Snog. You haven't snogged that many girls?"

His face pinked as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh, a few I guess, but I didn't have a serious girlfriend at school. Then we put so much work into starting up the shop, there wasn't time, and it's actually kind of difficult to find someone when it feels like the whole world might burn down around you at any moment."

Isabel nodded slowly. "Because you know this is my first, right?" she asked, tilting her head up to look at him. "I would think that was fairly obvious, but I just wanted to be clear. And I realize we grew up very differently, and so I don't mind that you've kissed other girls…well, not much. But I would probably mind if there had been lots of girls."

"There haven't been," he said hurriedly. "And the dorms…it was just a laugh, trying to see how far we could run up the stairs and then slide down without falling."

She studied him for another moment and nodded again. "Okay, then you may kiss me," she said regally.

George raised his eyebrows, shoved his hands into his pockets, and took a step back, leaning against the wall beside the staircase. "Who says I want to?" he asked teasingly.

Isabel narrowed her eyes at him and stepped closer. "Oh, you want to. I can tell."

"It may have crossed my mind," he replied, shrugging disinterestedly.

She spun around suddenly. "Well, if you're not really interested…"

George reached out and grabbed her hand, turning her back towards him. "I give in," he grinned at her. "I'm very interested."

Isabel smirked at him before lifting her chin and closing her eyes, standing there expectantly.

He wanted to laugh. That was just so absolutely Isabel. He stepped closer, intertwining his fingers with hers, and leaning down. He pressed his lips against hers for a moment before she responded, hesitantly and clumsily. But her lips were soft and warm, and George found himself utterly enamored with the feeling.

Mindful of Joshua's threats (well, maybe it was advice, but there had definitely been a threatening undercurrent,) George broke away, watching Isabel's face for her reaction. As though surprised he had stopped, Isabel blinked up at him, her lips slightly parted. "Well, I'm not sure that was what I expected, but it was…nice," she finally said, scrunching up her face thoughtfully. "I think I'd like to try that again sometime."

George stared at her, mildly shocked. "Should I be pleased or offended by that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you could have used a more flattering description."

Her eyes widened. "I said it was nice and I'd like to kiss you again. What do you want me to say?"

George huffed over to one of the armchairs and threw himself it in dramatically. "How about earth-shattering? Or irresistible? Addictive? Delightful? Captivating?"

Isabel laughed, "Oh George. If I didn't already think all that about you I wouldn't have let you kiss me to begin with."

"Let me?! It was practically all your idea, you…you minx!"

He was laughing as he said it, and Isabel smiled at him delightedly, backing towards the door of the Common Room.

"Then maybe next time it should be your idea," she said primly, as she pushed the door open and stepped out.

"Next time?" he asked, standing to his feet.

"Yeah. Next time you catch me." She let the door swing closed behind her and took off at a run down the corridor.

"Izzy, where are you going? You've never been inside the castle before!" George yelled after her, the painting of the Fat Lady yelping in indignation as he flung her open against the wall.

"Then you'd better hurry before I'm hopelessly lost!" her voice floated back to him.

"Pretty sure werewolves can't get lost!" George called as he took off after her.

* * *

The Wizarding Defense Network began broadcasting a half hour later, updating people on the plot to take over the castle and prepare a final defense against You-Know-Who and his followers. The plea was sent out for any and all who opposed the regime that had taken over their country and established the discriminatory statutes regarding blood purity to come join the fighters, to join the resistance that would not stop until they won back Britain and their freedom.

Professor McGonagall, Arthur Weasley, and Kingsley Shacklebolt were kept busy for a while delivering the younger students safely and surreptitiously to their homes. Those who were of age had flatly refused to leave. Most relieved parents had more than a few choice words for their children's decision to try and hide in the castle, admonishing them for not trusting their elders to see to their safety. But some seemed to take this as the final straw.

Marjorie Twicklesmith's father regarded his daughter thoughtfully as she stood on their doorstep, Professor McGonagall succinctly explaining what had happened. "We come from a long line of Hufflepuffs, Professor," Mr. Twicklesmith finally said in his broad, West Country timbre. "Lots of folk might think we're a bit feeble, not ambitious, not daring, not always shrewd. But I reckon we know what's right. And my Marjorie did what she thought was right. Got to take a stand now, haven't we? So I'll be taking Majorie to stay at her Gran's, and the missus and I will be coming back to fight with you. Nothing like a cornered badger, that's what I say." This could have been an attempt at humor, but the man's face was entirely somber as he nodded at his own statement.

Like a pebble thrown into a pond, little by little, the ripples of resistance had spread, so that now, when faced with one last chance to stand against darkness, others decided to dig deep into their national psyche, not, perhaps to find flag waving patriotism, but the courage and determination that had enabled their island to withstand previous foes from within and without, a quiet and fierce resolve.

* * *

Six of them stared down at the diadem, sitting there innocuously on Snape's desk, so tarnished and grimy it almost looked pitiful.

"Hermione, let's have the sword," said Harry.

She nodded and began digging through her bag. After a moment she wrinkled her nose in confusion and lit the end of her wand, poking it down into the bag and peering over it. "Harry, the sword's gone," she said worriedly.

"Can't be. That bag hasn't been out of your sight," said Ron.

"Maybe it thought we didn't need it anymore," Harry sighed, pushing his glasses back on his nose.

"Maybe magical artifacts need to come with guidelines," groused Ron tiredly. "Where would it go?"

The soft throat clearing got the attention of the three, and they looked to Remus, who pointed at the glass case behind the desk. There lay the sword, sharp and shining.

"So it came…home? After it thought we didn't need it anymore?" Hermione asked, cocking her head as she studied the sword.

Severus moved to open the case, and slowly lifted the sword from where it reposed on red velvet. As he turned to hand the sword to Harry, a hissing, whispering voice began speaking from the diadem.

 _Sssseverus. You are a failure. I saw your desires. I saw your fears. You killed that which you loved, and you will watch the rest die as well. Watch them die before I destroy you._

Billowing from the diadem were the grey, smoky figures of Lily and James Potter. The shade of James began to laugh, faintly resembling his true, deep laugh that Remus and Sirius remembered, but now dark and scathing, red eyes fixed on Snape. The laughter rang through the room, his old friends wincing at the sound. Sirius tried to grab the diadem, but pulled back as the metal burned white-hot, beginning to scorch the desk.

"Take the sword, Potter," Severus said in a tight voice, his hand clenched around the sword's hilt, knuckles white.

Lily began to speak, her wispy form swaying back and forth before Snape like a cobra hypnotizing its victim with scarlet eyes. _My son was entrusted to you and now you will let him die. Like you let me die. I'm grateful I saw your true colors. Why would I have ever wanted you when I had James? Rich, handsome, strong. Everything you were not. Everything you could never be. Of course you slithered over to the Dark Lord. He appreciates crawling, simpering fools._

Harry was speechless, looking up in horror at the images of his parents, so different to how he'd seen in them in the Mirror of Erised or photographs, or even the memory of Snape's he'd accidentally seen in Fifth Year. He didn't move to reach for the weapon. They weren't real, they weren't anything like Sirius and Remus had told him about. They were malicious and scornful, but they were still his parents, and Harry found himself incapable of obeying.

"You need to destroy it, Severus," replied Remus. He was watching the shades of James and Lily with disgust, wand in his hand. The shades grew taller and darker, filling up the room and towering over the observers. Ron and Hermione huddled together near the door, watching the events fearfully. Sirius pulled Harry away from the desk, drawing his wand and looking repulsed by the abomination masquerading as James.

 _Severus_. A new voice sounded quietly in Snape's ear, completely different to the terrible, hissing Potters. It was kind and gentle, difficult to make out over the laughing James and Lily's horrible taunting croons. _Severus I am still here. You are never alone. Forgive them._

"But she's right," Severus muttered. "It was all my fault." He turned towards Harry with a sad desperation. "I'm sorry," he choked out.

Harry stared at him, torn between his horror at what the diadem was doing and his confused frustration at having to deal with the self-recriminations of a man he'd spent most of the last seven years despising.

"It wasn't just you," yelled Sirius over the demonic laughter. "Peter gave up their location! You-Know-Who marked them for death! Remus and I were too busy mistrusting each other to see that Peter was a traitor! It just…it was just a horrible, tragic…"

 _Severus, take up your sword_ , the gentle voice whispered. _Face all sides of the truth and let it free you._

Snape lifted his face to the dark and twisted Lily, his eyes damp. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "And I forgive you for not understanding. For not fighting for me when I needed you to. I didn't know how…how to choose a different path."

The others in the room couldn't hear his soft plea over the voices of the horcrux, and watched the darkness swell and swirl around the Headmaster, seeming to devour him. "Stab the bloody thing!" Sirius roared, and finally Severus raised the sword over his head and brought it down with a cry of pain and fury.

There was a bright flash as the sword struck the jeweled tiara, a shriek rising and resounding through the room. And as he blinked against the intensity of the light, Remus thought he caught a glimpse of an ancient knight driving back a dark winged creature. The group stared down in silence at the warped and twisted metal, smoking slightly and oozing a black substance onto the desktop.

Severus stiffly, mechanically, took the sword and laid it again in its case, then turned away from them all and stood before the window, staring out into the dark night, faint moonlight glinting off the snow covered lawns. He startled slightly when Sirius approached and placed a hand on his shoulder. "She never said those things," Sirius murmured. "Never let us say anything against you around her either. She was angry about your choice, sad about losing your friendship. But never vindictive."

"Be certain to inform the others that your team will need to be in their animal forms when they enter the Malfoy property tomorrow," Snape said in a frigid voice, ignoring Black's comment. "Miss Laurent's Dark Mark would allow her entry as a human, but no one else."

Sirius clapped him once more on the shoulder and turned to leave, ushering the others out of the room ahead of him. Finally alone, Severus collapsed into a chair and covered his face with his hands, the silent shudder of his shoulders the only indication of weeping.

* * *

Author's Note* Thank you so much for reading along!

Guest, I think if it were me I would feel I must stay with my child. However, I think I would be generally useless in those situations anyway, and I can see the struggle for people who are trained to handle difficult or dangerous circumstances. First Responders, like police officers or firefighters or doctors, servicemen and women, etc. must have a much harder time when confronted with those choices. So I wanted to go back and forth a little to explore the various emotions and arguments for and against. I think Remus would maybe swing back and forth on being firm and not, depending on the level of emotion that's directed at him. And poor Gareth, he's just having a hard time adjusting to life without parents and siblings that love him, and love him in ways that he's accustomed to. :) I'm sorry (and sort of glad) I made you cry. I do think there is generally a lack of strong, paternal men in fiction (and real life, honestly) and so I wanted to sort of showcase and applaud men who get it. I absolutely agree Remus is wired that way, and it's terrible he didn't get to experience a life of fatherhood with Teddy in the original storyline. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, as always! Love it!

Story Recommendation - Charis77 has written a beautiful one-shot of Remus and Sirius set at the end of PoA entitled "Let It Be" and I highly recommend it! It's sweet and funny and heartbreaking. The very definition of poignant. s/13185380/1/Let-It-Be


	89. Chapter 89

Chapter 89 ~ December 23, 1997

 _Things were going well. That must have been the problem. Things were going too well, and she'd become careless. Trusting too much in her own plans and capabilities. And now…_

Lina felt her body freeze as the spell hit, and incapable of fighting back, she found herself slowly revolving to face the person who had caught her off guard. Her first thought, strangely enough, was disgust. Of all the people it had to be Lucius Malfoy, pompous git. He was already talking as her body stopped spinning and faced him. Blathering on about how dare they have the nerve blah, blah, blah. And then his voice trailed off mid sentence and he reached out to yank back the hood on her jacket.

"Impossible!" he breathed out, suspicious eyes searching her face and lifting a few stands of hair with his wand, peering at it in the dim light. "Snape said you were dead…he…"

His words were cut off as Kieran barreled into him from behind. Lucius was flung into the pillar of the garden wall and lay unmoving. Sirius followed right behind Kieran and released Lina from the spell just as a volley of hexes thrown from the other end of the property blasted them backwards, gouging out a deep crater in the lawn and catching the hedgerow on fire.

"Time…to go," yelled Sirius, coughing and gagging from the debris in the air." Joshua got hit. Minor injury, but I sent him back—"

"No!" Lina yelled back, scrabbling to her feet and trying to head back towards the house. "I have to make sure Malfoy's dead!"

"We'll all be dead if they get any closer!" Sirius snapped back at her, grabbing her arm. "Take Kieran and get out of here. I'll fetch Xavier."

She stared at him with wide, terrified eyes, grabbed onto Kieran and disapparated.

Sirius blinked at the sudden disappearance, then transformed and ran towards Xavier, still flat on his belly taking pot shots at any movement heading away from the house. The two of them disapparated as well, leaving behind several bodies, a burning hedgerow, and a general mess on the once immaculate Malfoy lawn.

They crashed to the ground at the edge of the forest, quickly found the trail and took off towards the castle. "Where's Lina?" Sirius asked, panting, when they'd caught up to Kieran.

The huge black werewolf transformed back and shook his head. "She told me to follow the trail and then disapparated again. Do you think she went back there?"

Sirius swore under his breath. "Most likely. I'll go back and check. Let Remus know what happened." The crack of his disapparation echoed through the otherwise silent woods, and Kieran and Xavier exchanged worried glances before taking off along the trail they'd marked yesterday.

* * *

He landed in a blinding, choking cloud of smoke, and changed into Padfoot, hoping the dog's nose and ears could make out what was going on better than he could as human. Slinking low along the perimeter of the property, he finally could make out the Death Eaters yelling and trying to put out the spreading fire on the other side of the house.

Hoping the whole damn thing would burn to the ground, he circled back to where he remembered Lucius lying against the pillar. His nose working frantically against the acrid burning that superseded everything else, he found himself almost upon her before he recognized her scent. Lina was crouched beside the stone pillar, her hand pressed against the edge where a trail of blood was quickly drying. But there was no body. Either Malfoy had been coherent enough to get himself away or someone else had found him first.

Sirius changed back and knelt down beside her. "We can't stay here," he rasped out in the smokey atmosphere.

But Lina just sat there, staring at the place he had lain. "He recognized me," she finally said, almost whispering it. "He knows Severus lied to them. I have to…I have to clean this up…"

The wall above them exploded in a shower of broken stones, and Sirius grabbed her, yanking her backwards as a second spell blasted the earth away from where she'd been standing. "It's too late!" he yelled. "If they know, then they'll be coming. We have to warn the others!"

The two apparated as close as they dared to the school's barrier, changed into their animagus forms and raced toward the castle. Leaping up the steps to the doors, Lina changed back and flung the doors open.

"SEVERUS!" she screamed, her voice echoing off the stones. She began to run up the staircases, screaming his name over and over again, the piercing cry ringing through the castle. Others began to appear, trying to stop her and ask what was wrong, but she ignored them.

Hands grabbed her and she tried to push them aside, but they held firm and spun her around. "Lina!" Remus snapped. "What happened? Where's Sirius?"

"I'm here," Sirius panted, joining them on the stairs. Lina just stood there, frozen, her chest rising and falling rapidly like a bird fluttering in a cage. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't speak. Seeing her panic, Sirius slung an arm over her shoulder and began to lead her further up the steps, more slowly, speaking in a low and calm voice. "Snape's probably in his office," he said gently. "I'll go with you."

Informed by a painting of the commotion happening in the stairwell, Severus had already left his office and was making his way down when they found him.

Lina stared at him with wide, guilty eyes. "They know," she breathed out. "Lucius saw me. They know I'm alive. They know you lied to them."

Severus stared at her calmly. "Then they will be coming."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry. I didn't…I didn't think…I…"

"They would have come eventually," he said calmly, and then turned to Sirius and Remus. "There is no more time for preparations. Gather everyone in the Great Hall and we will assign battle stations. And someone needs to get Potter out of here."

Sirius glanced at Remus and then forced himself to remember that Severus had probably earned at least some small measure of respect. He nodded and turned to head back down the stairs, squeezing Lina's hand once more, reassuringly.

Severus tucked Lina's hand into the crook of his arm and led her back up to his office. She was trembling and silent. He could feel the self recrimination and outrage churning through her, even without legilimency. In her mind, her error would be paid back with blood, and not just her own.

"Sit," he said, gesturing to the chair opposite his desk. "And explain." Taking his seat behind the desk, Severus leaned forward slightly, tenting his long fingers and fixing her with a piercing gaze. Perhaps an unnecessary maneuver given how far they'd come, but one that always worked on recalcitrant students. And just as she had for seven years in his House, she met his gaze unflinchingly, and began to talk. (Although he suspected that most of those years whatever she'd said had been bald-faced lies.)

"Everything was working just as we'd hoped," she began, her voice hollow. "Kieran and Joshua took their positions on either end and set up a howl. The noise made everyone inside nervous and a few of them came out to investigate. I heard Travers mention that all the werewolves had scarpered after Greyback had been killed. He didn't understand why they'd be coming back around now.

Sirius and I let a few spells fly to draw them out farther. More came from inside the house to see what was going on. Someone shouted, 'They found us!' and several ran, trying to get outside the barrier so they could disapparate. Xavier picked off most of them. The gun was very effective. They never saw it coming. Didn't know what was going on. I have confirmed kills of Yaxley, Rowle, Dolohov, and Rookwood. Confirmed injuries of Lestrange and Malfoy."

"Ah, yes. You mentioned Malfoy saw you. Are you certain he recognized you?"

"Yes, Sir. He had me in a full body bind curse. Kieran knocked him away and he fell against a stone column. By that point the rest of those inside the house had begun a coordinated attack. I…I wanted to make sure Malfoy was dead, but we were thrown back and I had to ensure the safety of the non-magic users. As soon as I dropped Kieran off at the edge of the forest I returned to the house—"

"You went back?"

"Yes, Sir. I hoped to rectify my mistake. But Malfoy was gone. I don't know if he was able to move under his own power or if someone moved him. We then came under a heavy assault and retreated."

Snape sat there silently, as he went over the recitation of events. "You did well," he said finally. "Eliminating four, possibly six of the Dark Lord's top brass is not to be discounted."

"I was too sure of myself," Lina whispered, shaking her head. "I thought the plan was perfect."

"A plan may be perfect. That does not mean its execution is flawless. And it hasn't changed what we intended to happen. It has simply accelerated the timeline. The question now is can you set aside your feelings and do what needs to be done?"

"Yes, Sir," she answered in a low voice, looking down at her lap.

"Oh for pity's sake, stop calling me _Sir_! You said we'd moved past that stark professionalism."

Lina jerked her head up and stared at him.

Severus sighed, his shoulders slumping wearily. "Miss Laurent, I am well aware that you believe the more control you have over situations the less likely things are to go wrong, and consequently, the less likely you are to have regrets. But no one gets through their life without mistakes and regrets. One must acknowledge their mistakes and try to move on. That is a lesson I am still trying to learn, albeit almost too late."

"But we aren't as ready as—"

"Miss Laurent, the Dark Lord and his henchmen will be coming to deal with me. They will not be expecting a small force to be holding and ready to defend the castle. That gives us the advantage."

* * *

The Great Hall was eerily quiet, and seemed absurdly large. Their group numbered just around four dozen, made up of the Americans, the Weasleys, Hogwarts staff, students that refused to leave, a ghostly contingent, and a few Order members that had trickled in as word reached them about what was happening. The doors flew open and Kingsley Shacklebolt strode in, his voice echoing through the room. "Professor McGonagall, sorry I couldn't arrive sooner. I received word that the Order had secured the castle. How did you manage to oust Snape?"

Professor McGonagall stood from her seat. "Well, you see…"

"Snape's on our side," offered Remus, rising as well and walking towards him to shake his hand. "Glad you could make it."

"Yes," Professor McGonagall said, "There's been quite a few surprises these last two days."

Kingsley shook Remus' hand, looking at him skeptically. "Our side? How is that possible? The man killed Albus Dumbledore and turned the school over to Death Eaters."

"Apparently he was working under Dumbledore's orders the whole time," Professor McGonagall said, as though she were still having trouble believing it.

The doors swung open again and Snape swept into the room, Lina close behind him. Dressed in all black Muggle clothes, with soot and sweat streaked across her face and her hair pulled back in a disheveled plait, she looked like a highly disreputable body guard.

"Is that…Miss Andersson?" Seamus whispered to Neville.

"Can't be," he whispered back. "Can it?"

"Oh, it is," muttered Ron. "Not her real name though."

Neville looked back at her wide eyes. "But Miss Andersson was always so…so put together. She looks like—"

"Like a Barbie Action Man," said Harry under his breath.

The others looked at him in confusion as Hermione covered a small snort of laughter. "It's a Muggle toy," she whispered. "Well, not exactly, they're two separate toys, but…"

She was interrupted by the cool, controlled voice of Professor Snape, who stood on the raised dais where the staff typically took their meals. "An operation was carried out this evening by a small team in an attempt to take out some of the Dark Lord's top leadership. This operation may be deemed successful, as we have confirmed deaths of four well known Death Eaters and confirmed injuries of two more. During this operation an incident occurred which has forced us to adjust our plans regarding luring the Dark Lord here."

"Wait a minute," interrupted Kingsley Shacklebolt. "What plans? And who was running this team? And since when are you giving assignments to the Order?"

"Kingsley," said Remus quietly. "There hasn't exactly been an Order since Dumbledore died. You've been running missions with the old guard like Alastor would have done, and we've been focused on the werewolves. Only Tonks was involved with both."

"Until she was killed on one of your missions. And that's precisely my concern," Kingsley replied. "You call us all over here, only to now reveal that you're actually taking orders from a traitor, only he's not really a traitor, and Dumbledore somehow set this all up? Forgive me if this sounds a little far fetched."

"Kingsley, that isn't exactly what's been going on," said Sirius.

"Yes, we all thought Snape was a traitor until two nights ago," agreed Professor McGonagall.

"Well, we've been working with him in a round about way since September," Sirius said a little sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

"So who is actually in charge?"

"It's been something more of a group effort," offered Remus with a slight shrug.

"I can assure you Severus Snape is trustworthy," boomed the voice of the Bloody Baron from the back of the room.

"So says the ghost of Slytherin House," remarked Charlie Weasley with a dry, unamused smile.

"Now just a minute," said Lina sharply. "Being from Slytherin might be disparaged by most of you, but we wouldn't be this close to defeating the Dark Lord if it weren't for Professor Snape and myself and the Baron for that matter! Maybe if some of you started recognizing the worthwhile traits of Slytherins instead of painting all of us as future Death Eaters—"

"Do your worthwhile traits include hanging people upside down by their pants?" he called back.

"I was thirteen!" she responded rolling her eyes in exasperation.

"Enough, Miss Laurent," rebuked Severus.

"And correct me if I'm wrong, but you and Snape _are_ Death Eaters," Charlie added. "Wasn't that the whole idea?"

"They do both have the Dark Mark," said Professor Sinestra tentatively. "Perhaps this is all some elaborate trap?"

"That doesn't seem very logical," argued Professor Vector.

"I think this arguing is mostly just wasting time," came a drawling, American accent from a group nearest the front of the room. "If we anticipate this Dark Lord and his followers coming here, then we need to get into position to fight back and not waste time trying to work out who knew what about who and when."

"Which one said that?" called a shorter wizard with a derby hat who had arrived earlier in the day, craning his neck to try and see better.

"And who are _you?"_ whispered Lavender Brown, peering over Neville's shoulder.

"That's Dedalus Diggle," Harry answered under his breath. "He arrived with Hestia Jones. They're both Order members. Helped escort my aunt and uncle and cousin into hiding."

Kieran stood to his feet, tall, powerful, and commanding. Each person there began to sense a weighty presence fill the room, but only the werewolves recognized it as Kieran's protective authority as the Alpha asserting itself. "I'm Kieran Walsh. Volunteer from the United States."

"Oh, oh yes, I remember," said Diggle in something of a twitter. "The werewolves we escorted over."

Whispers and exclamations broke out across the room.

"He's a werewolf?!" exclaimed Ernie MacMillan. "My dad said they all would probably join up with You-Know-Who!"

"I assure you they're all completely trustworthy," Remus called, holding his hands out as though to calm everyone down.

"Well, yes, of course, Remus we know _you_ are. I mean, we were all very saddened by what happened when you had to leave the school…" Professor Sinestra began in a rather fluttering way. "But, to have so many of…of your kind here. It does seem a little…"

"Maybe if you saw us change and change back it might help you understand," offered Daisy, standing up beside Kieran and smiling out at the room. "Mr. Shacklebolt has seen us train. We're in complete control the whole time."

Kieran nodded, and the rest of the Americans stood and lined up in front of him. Cat, Izzy and Daisy stood beside Joshua and Xavier, with Jane and Hawthorne at the end. They glanced at each other before beginning to transform, as slowly and deliberately as they could, allowing people to witness the change. Their bodies dropped and lengthened, fur taking the place of clothing, ears and muzzles stretching.

The werewolves stood there quietly, but gasps and uneasy mutterings echoed through the room, and several people had already jumped to their feet, wands drawn defensively. George and Remus rushed to stand between them and the rest of the room. "Now everyone calm down," Kieran said in a deep, soothing voice, his presence radiating calm. "These people are in complete control of themselves and their transformations. It's not even a full moon. They are perfectly safe to be around…well, unless you're a Death Eater. And hopefully now none of you will panic and accidentally attack one of us in the heat of a battle," he added dryly.

A nervous trill of laughter broke out from one of the observers, and a hand popped up from a young witch with short black hair and very pink cheeks. "I'm Hestia Jones," she said with a little wave to the rest of the group. I've been doing some missions here and there with the Order, although I haven't had a chance to fight with the Americans yet. I just wondered…why do you fight as werewolves at all? Aren't wands more precise, and well…less messy?"

Kieran's mouth quirked up in a wry smile. "Magic isn't always less messy. But the real reason is that three of us aren't magic users at all. The wolf is all we've got."

"You're squibs?" Dadelus Diggle asked in surprise. "Is that…I mean…is it really going to be that much help? So much of magical attacks are long range, and…"

"I don't know about all this," said Professor Sinestra slowly. "Death Eaters and werewolves…Are we absolutely sure we can trust them? And how helpful can squibs actually be? No offense."

Isabel swiftly transformed back. "Oh come on!" she exploded, throwing her hands in the air. "Witch, wizard, werewolf, squib, No-Maj, Gryffindor, Slytherin — WHO CARES?! That sort of prejudiced thinking is what started this whole mess! Aren't we all here for the same reason? We need to take down What's-His-Name for good. That should be all that matters right now. Besides...Harry trusts us all, don't you Harry?" She fixed Harry with a stare, daring him to say otherwise.

"Yeah…of course I do. I trust everybody here," he said, his eyes flicking up to Professor Snape and then quickly away.

The doors of the Great Hall banged open a third time and to everyone's great surprise, Percy Weasley stumbled through. "Sorry if I'm late," he panted. "Got Charlie's owl…took me a bit to decode it…what did I miss?"

"You're just in time," called Fred. "We're currently accepting applications from all traitors and dark creatures."

Percy stopped mid step and blushed bright red. "I…I was a traitor…a fool," he clearly. "An idiot. A pompous prat. A…a…"

"Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron." Fred finished.

"All that and more," agreed Percy. "It's horrible what the Ministry's doing to Muggle-borns. I wanted out, but I…I was scared. They were arresting people right and left. And you were all on Undesirable posters, so I thought maybe if I stayed I could keep an eye on their plans to find you, but…I shouldn't have behaved the way I did. I'm sorry," he finished, blinking rapidly behind his glasses.

Molly burst into tears and jumped from her seat, running over to hug him, Arthur right behind her.

"If these dramatics are quite finished…" Snape interrupted cooly. "I will make the same offer now that I made to the staff. If you wish to leave and not fight with us you may do so, but any memories of what has occurred here over the last two days will be obliviated. The Dark Lord will be making his way here because he is now aware that I have betrayed him, and he will not have been able to contact the other Death Eaters assigned to the school. However, I do not believe they will be expecting any kind of organized resistance."

Everyone returned to their seats, and though some gave each other uncertain glances, not one decided to leave. "What did you do with the Carrows?" called Seamus Finnegan. "Are they going to be able to get a message to You-Know-Who?"

"The Carrows are unconscious," chirped Madame Pomfrey with some degree of self-satisfaction. "Have been since I got a hold of them. They are right out of it."

"Locked in the dungeon," added Mr. Filch with a firm nod. "Finally got to use those old manacles I'd kept oiled and polished."

"I've never seen Filch look so happy. He threatened me and Fred with those manacles," George whispered to Isabel, sitting beside him. "Always going on about what a pity it was they let the old punishments die."

She shot him a concerned look. "I used to wish I'd been able to go to a regular wizarding school," she whispered back, "but I'm starting to think I had it better off. It's a miracle any of you survived seven years here!"

"Furthermore," Madame Pomfrey continued, "I would like to say that I took care of Remus Lupin after every full moon his entire school career and the year he taught here. Not a soul more trustworthy in my opinion. And the Headmaster has continued to help Professor Slughorn prepare all the potions I use in the dispensary. He's done what he can as far as I'm concerned to help the students without…what do people say? Without blowing his cover."

"Thank you for that vote of confidence, Madame Pomfrey—" Remus began.

"AND," she continued loudly, waving him away, "the Headmaster and I were there to help deliver Remus' daughter. And that girl," here she pointed at Catherine proudly, "was a tremendous asset. Nerves of steel and very nice bedside manner, squib or no. So I for one have no qualms about any of them. Now what do we do next?"

Isabel tried to hide a snort of laughter by pretending to sneeze, and Sirius stood at the back of the room with his hand over his mouth, shaking his head at her diatribe. Remus cleared his throat and came to stand on the dais beside Snape. "We don't have a lot more time to prepare the castle," Remus said. "What we need to do now is focus on assigning people to locations that are the most easily defended. Professor McGonagall, have all the students been returned to their homes?"

"All but the ones who insisted on staying to fight." She looked ruefully over at where the group of about ten students was huddled together at a table with Harry, Hermione, and Ron, but there was also an undercurrent of pride to her voice. After all, most of the students remaining were from her House. "If they were not of age, we returned them to their parents. Some of those parents were planning to come here to help."

"A battle plan has been worked out between Professor McGonagall, Lupin and myself," Snape began. Professors Flitwick, Sinestra, and McGonagall are going to take groups of fighters up to the three highest towers – Ravenclaw, Astronomy and Gryffindor. This will give them a good overview, excellent positions from which to work spells. Sirius Black, Miss Laurent, and I will oversee things on the lower levels. Meanwhile Remus Lupin, Arthur Weasley, and Kingsley Shacklebolt will take groups into the grounds. We'll need somebody to organize defense of the entrances of the passageways into the school…"

"Sounds like a job for us," called Fred, indicating himself and George, and Snape gave him a stiff nod.

"Charlie, what about you?" asked Remus. "Have you and Hagrid met with the centaurs?"

The burly red head nodded, scarred arms crossed over his chest. "They'll ignore any traffic through their territory for now, and Firenze is still trying to convince them to come fight with us."

"Then I suggest we take up our positions," interrupted Professor Snape's silky voice. "You can use any extra time to enhance defensive measures in your areas. Black, see that Mr. Potter is taken somewhere safe, and then you can make one last appeal for assistance through your radio station. Professor McGonagall, I wonder if you would cast the substitutionary locomotion spell before you head up to Gryffindor Tower?"

Professor McGonagall practically beamed. "Oh, I've always wanted to use that spell!"

* * *

As the group filed out of the Great Hall, Daisy hurried to catch up to Harry. "Harry! I have to talk to you for a minute!" she whispered, tugging on his sleeve to pull him away.

Harry looked at her earnest face and suddenly felt very tired. "So it's true then?"

"What?"

But Harry didn't answer that question. Instead he sank back onto the nearest bench. When Daisy had taken a seat beside him, he finally started to speak.

"Professor Snape destroyed the diadem last night."

"Yes, Sirius told us."

"Did he tell you what happened?"

"No, not the details, just that the horcrux fought back and Professor Snape finally used the sword to destroy it."

"When I had to face the diary, it sort of spewed out this ghost of Tom Riddle. Not a ghost really, a memory, a shadow of who he'd been when he made the horcrux. I was expecting something like that again. But that's not what happened."

"What happened?"

"My parents." Harry's face screwed up in distaste at the memory. "These images of my parents showed up and started laughing and mocking Snape. It was awful."

"The horcruxes are very dark artifacts."

"But there was something my mother said…or not her, but the shadowy thing. It said that I'd been entrusted to Snape and now he was going to let me die, like he'd let her die."

"So do you really not trust him then?"

Harry sighed. "I don't want to, honestly. But he has done a lot to help. And he was almost crying during the whole thing with the the diadem. He even apologized. It was maybe one of the strangest things I've ever seen."

He sighed again, shoulders slumping. "I think…I wondered if it was possible that I was a horcrux too."

Daisy sat there silently, wondering if he expected her to express some sort of surprise or dismay.

"You already knew that, didn't you?" he asked glumly.

"Yes," she whispered, and he glanced at her, surprised to see her wiping away tears. "But Tom Riddle doesn't know this about you. And that does give you an advantage."

"But it means I have to die, right? The horcrux has to be destroyed to destroy the part of Tom Riddle that it carries?"

Daisy nodded, sniffing back more tears. If Harry was able to face this so calmly, surely she could.

"So why did Dumbledore want me to find the Deathly Hallows? It hardly matters if I have them, when I need to die anyway."

"I can't answer for him, Harry. Maybe he just wanted to make sure you had everything possible that might be able to help you."

"I can understand the cloak and wand being helpful, but I think the Resurrection stone is in this snitch." He pulled the fluttering gold ball out of his pocket and showed it to her. "And I can't get it to open."

"It will open when you need it to, I think."

"Once, when I faced him, Tom Riddle, at the Triwizard Tournament the…I don't know what they were exactly, spirits maybe? The spirits of my parents appeared, because they'd been some of the last people he'd killed with his wand. They helped me be brave in that moment. I was thinking maybe, if I could get the snitch to open and get the stone, they might help me again."

"Help you be brave again?"

"Yeah. I mean, when it's time to…to die."

Daisy met his gaze, seeing resolve. He'd already decided this was the only way, and was trying to prepare himself. She nodded slowly. "The stone will try to tell you death is the best option. It doesn't really bring back the people you love. It releases a shade, a dark spirit whose purpose is to lure someone to their death, to make it sound nice and easy. But it probably will look like your parents. And I think perhaps, Dumbledore thought you might need some encouragement, there at the end."

Harry nodded. "When you say it like that it sounds horrible, but I think I will need some…encouragement. Even though I know I have to do it, I don't want to. It's funny really, once you decide to die your body feels suddenly so…alive. I never really noticed my own heartbeat before, or how I breathe…all the little things living people do. Life just sort of pounding through you."

"I'm sorry," she whispered suddenly, her eyes filling with tears again. "I'm so sorry you have to do this. I see and hear so much, but there's still so much more I just don't understand."

Harry looked up suddenly to see Professor Snape watching them with anguish. "Why did you tell him?" Severus asked, his voice almost angry. "Hasn't he done enough? I was supposed to keep him safe…for…her, and now…Harry, I don't think you have to do this."

"What?"

"The other horcruxes have been destroyed. We can kill the Dark Lord in his current form. Yes, there will be a piece of him left inside of you, but you have proven yourself more than capable of handling this. You've been managing the…the symptoms for years. Now that you know what it is, and that the other pieces of his soul will be gone, it should be even easier to manage."

His voice had risen steadily as he was speaking, and Harry stared at his former professor incredulously. Drawn by the raised voices and Harry's expression, Sirius nudged Remus where he stood by the door and they walked over to the strange trio.

"Black, take Mr. Potter away from here. Now that the Dark Lord is mortal I plan to take care of himself," Snape said icily, turning to walk away.

"I can't leave!" Harry burst out.

Sirius frowned. "Harry, I know you think you need to be the one to kill him. Between the prophecy and just good old fashioned revenge, I completely understand. I'm just wondering if…if you're maybe rushing into this a little."

"No, that's not it! I have to face him! I— I'm a horcrux."

"Harry…wha…what are you saying?"

"I'm a horcrux," he repeated. "Part of Tom Riddle's soul is in me. Daisy and Snape already knew."

"Impossible," Sirius whispered, his face ashen. He looked to Daisy, wanting her to deny it, but she simply nodded sadly. "Severus Snape!" Sirius roared, turning on him. "What do you know about this!"

Snape hesitated, and Harry knew he'd been right. The man had known somehow. That was what the diadem had meant when it said Snape was going to let him die.

"He did it to a snake," said Harry. "It's not impossible, just…unfortunate. But we've destroyed the other horcruxes at least, and if you let him kill me it will destroy the last one. He'll be distracted thinking he's achieved a great victory, and the rest of you can attack."

"No."

Everyone looked with some surprise to Severus Snape, who had spoken the single work vehemently.

"Professor, I don't think leaving a piece of his soul inside Harry is a safe option," said Daisy softly. "It could be much harder to control if all that's left of him is concentrated in one being. And then there would always be the possibility that someone, someday would try and use Harry to resurrect him again."

"I don't want that," said Harry quickly. He, oddly, looked relieved, like he had feared the worst and now that the worst was being realized, it felt slightly more manageable. "Look, everyone goes out to fight knowing it might be the last thing they do. I'm just a little more certain this time."

"Why in the bloody hell would Dumbledore put him through all of this only to ask him to die in the end anyway!" Sirius burst out. He drew his wand suddenly and thrust it into Snape's chest. "Maybe you're lying and this is all some elaborate hoax to turn all of us over to You-Know-Who!"

Snape stood there, making no move to draw his own wand, and Remus gently pulled Sirius' arm down. "Sirius, you can't really believe that," he said quietly. "Not after everything else."

"But…but do we know all of this for sure?" asked Sirius quietly, desperate for any other option. "Daisy, what do you see?"

"The piece of the soul is attached to Harry, like…like a parasite."

"Isn't it better to live with a parasite than die trying to get rid of it?" asked Severus.

"That would depend on the parasite," said Daisy slowly. "I think there is an exceptionally strong enemy attached to Tom Riddle. And if the only part of Tom Riddle left were in Harry, I worry that this enemy would try and seek out the…familiar host. Sometimes there's more at stake than just your life."

"I have to do this," said Harry, looking earnestly at Sirius. "I can ensure that he is mortal. And—"

A crash made them all jump, and they looked over to see Peeves had thrown a painting down on the tabletop. "We're running out of time, sweetheart," he said gruffly, an unlit cigar dangling from his mouth and his fedora pulled low over one eye. "Ask him if you want the full story."

He zoomed off and Remus slowly titled up the frame of the painting, where a now rumpled looking Albus Dumbledore was watching them all warily.

* * *

Recorded music had been playing in lieu of the kids' band during the meeting in the Great Hall, and finally Remus and Sirius were poised to begin one last broadcast. Fred shut off the record that was playing with an intentional scratch for dramatic effect and nodded at them to begin.

"Good evening Great Britain," Sirius said, trying to sound solemn. "You are already aware that we are currently broadcasting from a new location. For those of you that have been wondering, Harry Potter is here with us, and has been under protection since You-Know-Who's takeover of the Ministry back in August. We feel this new location is more defensible and better prepared to handle the final assault that is coming soon. We know how difficult things have been, and we hope and pray that those times will shortly be behind us. This darkness will not endure."

"If there are any of you listening," Remus chimed in, "who are willing to fight with us, willing to lay down your life to preserve our freedom, then we ask you to join us. We have secured the castle and grounds of Hogwarts and are anticipating an assault, perhaps within the next few hours. There are currently just around four dozen of us here and ready to fight, shoring up the defenses and preparing for what we hope will be the last battle in this war. And do not mistake what is going on, this is a civil war. Britons pitted against one another. And all magical people must ultimately choose a side. You can support this regime of bigotry and hatred, of fear and persecution and death. Or you can fight it. If you choose to join us, there will be escorts waiting on the Muggle side of the Forbidden Forest until midnight if at all possible. Hogsmeade is currently on lockdown, and anyone apparating in will be arrested. I know this is not a decision that's made lightly." His voice broke for a moment and he paused to regain control. "I thought I lost everything in the first war. And now I have a wife and daughter that I left behind to come fight. But I am here, ensuring that the world my daughter grows up in is better than the one I knew in the first war, and better than the one we're experiencing now."

He had to stop speaking again, and Sirius rested his hand on Remus' arm as he took over, his own throat was tight and his hand shook slightly. "Our broadcasting schedule will be ending as of now. We hope that this little station of ours has brought you encouragement in these perilous times, and if there is an opportunity to update you over the course of events we will do so. On behalf of the Order of the Phoenix and the Howling Commandos, this is Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, signing off."

* * *

The scent of charred wood still hung in the air around the Malfoy Estate. Seated at the head of the long black table, Voldemort's fingers idly stroked the arm of the chair where Nagini should have been, forgetting for the moment that she had been lost. "You will all bear witness to what awaits those who betray me," he said languidly, fixing each one at the table with with his slitted, red eyes. "I will have Severus Snape on a platter this very night." And a chorus of demonic laughter echoed through the dark vortex swirling around him.

* * *

Author's Note* We are finally drawing to a close. The next chapter will be the final battle, and then there is an epilogue. Thank you so very much for reading along!


	90. Chapter 90

Chapter 90 ~ December 23 - 24, 1997

"Jus' one more!" begged Finn.

"Please? How about Silent Night? That's kind of like a bedtime song," added Gemma.

"All right, but you have to promise not to let on to Gareth how badly I sing," Deirdre whispered, grinning at them.

By the end of the third song, Finn and Colleen were sound asleep, Cadmus and Gemma close behind them, and Deirdre crept quietly from the room, pulling the door closed behind her. Turning around she saw Gareth watching her from the hallway. The lights on the Christmas tree winked and sparkled behind him.

"Everyone asleep?" Gareth whispered.

Deirdre nodded, following him into the kitchen where Ellie and Artemis sat at the table with a cups tea. Ellie looked unhappy and Artemis looked rather stern, her lips thin and shoulders stiff.

"What's going on?" Deirdre asked.

"I, uh…I have to go," Gareth said, sounding apologetic as he ran a hand through his hair nervously.

"What do you mean go?" Deirdre asked, looking to the other women for a clue to what was happening.

Ellie glanced at Artemis before answering. "Remus and Sirius were just on the radio. They're stopping the broadcasts for now because they're preparing for an attack. It sounded bad."

"And you're going to fight," Deirdre said flatly, turning to Gareth as he shrugged on his jacket and tucked his wand in his pocket.

"I have to," he said, not meeting her eyes. Then he turned and walked out of the back door, striding with long, purposeful steps toward the anti-apparation barrier. Deirdre looked frantically at the other women before darting out the door after him.

"Gareth! Wait!" Catching up, she grabbed his sleeve and forced him to turn and face her. "Please," she whispered, her eyes unexpectedly filling with tears. "You don't have to do this. Why do you keep trying to prove that you're more than a Death Eater's son?"

Gareth took a step towards her. "That's not what this is about," he said fiercely. "I'm not trying to prove anything. But I can't lose anybody else. Can you understand that? I know the whole pack is like a family, but…Josh and Cat and Daisy and Isabel are different, and nothing Papá did will matter if I lose them."

Deirdre let go of his sleeve and stepped back.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise." Gareth took a deep breath, and before she could really think about what she was doing, Deidre lunged forward and grabbed him, feeling the sick swirling in her stomach begin as she disapparated along with him.

They landed in the middle of a forested area, and Deirdre bent double, trying to slowly breathe and not throw up. Gareth stared at her in confusion. "Why did you do that?"

"I…don't know."

Sighing, he held out his hand. "Come on. I'll take you back."

"No." She backed away to lean against a tree, closing her eyes and willing the nausea away. "Look," she said after a minute, "what you said about losing people. I do understand that. I can help. I may not have as much experience fighting as the rest of you, but I did do all the training. Another set of teeth and claws can't hurt."

"But Alec sent you away so you wouldn't be caught in the middle of a fight."

"And your dad did the same thing. But like you said, what good is it if we lose everything that matters staying out of the fight?"

"What about the kids?"

Deirdre let out a short laugh. "If anyone needs to make it back home to Ellie and those kids it's Kieran. That way they'd have a dad and a mum, and an Alpha that really wants to take care of them."

Gareth acknowledged the teasing jab with a roll of his eyes, and Deirdre walked over, nudging him with her shoulder. "Isabel also happens to be my friend. My first real friend since I was a kid. And if you need to make sure she's safe, then I'll help you. You lot are my pack now."

A faint howl echoed beyond the trees and Gareth grinned. "Time to explain all that to the others." The pair transformed and took off, gold and red blurs racing through the forest.

* * *

Hogwarts was in the throes of barely controlled chaos. Teachers stood at the windows and on battlements casting protection spells over the castle. It looked like lighting striking backwards, magic shooting from dozens of wands up into the night sky. A horde of moving statues stampeded down the corridors, wizards and gargoyles, dragons and lions. The suits of armor, brandishing sword and mace, clattered after them.

"Hogwarts is threatened!" shouted Professor McGonagall. "Man the boundaries! Protect us! Do your duty to your school!"

The students were all watching her in awe until Fred shouted, "You lot get to your places! You can admire her work later!"

"Miss Brown, you're with me!" called Professor McGonagall. "MacMillan, you and the Patil twins are with Professor Flitwick. Professor Vector! Take Mr. Thomas and few more wands to the battlements off of the Middle Courtyard. Mr. Longbottom!" called Professor McGonagall, herding students ahead of her to the towers. "I think we can make it a little more difficult for them to access the castle. Bring down the wooden bridge to the Clock Tower."

"Bring it down? How?"

Professor McGonagall looked just the tiniest bit annoyed. "Transfigure it into a Quaffle and throw it into the lake. Chop it up. Set fire to it. I'm sure you can think of something, Mr. Longbottom. You are a wizard after all!"

"Right, Professor. Right away," Neville nodded, turning and running down the nearest staircase. "Seamus!" he yelled, grabbing the other boy's arm as he headed to Gryffindor Tower in the opposite direction. "I need your help with something!"

"Come on," George said to Isabel. "We'll add protective spells to all the secret passages we know about."

"Hey wait a minute!" called one of the students, a tall, broad shouldered young man. "I, uh…I had a question."

"What's up, Ernie?" asked George.

"You've fought in battles before. My, uh, my name's Ernie. Ernie MacMillan, by the way," he added towards Isabel. "And I'm a fair dueler, in class and practicing with Dumbledore's Army, but I've never fought anyone for real. What's it like?"

Isabel glanced at George. "Well, to be honest it's hard," she said, looking apologetic. "But you can't really think about that in the moment. I mean…you guys are friends, right?" she asked, gesturing to a few of the other students standing behind him.

"Yeah, of course," said Ernie. "Justin's my best mate. The rest of us really became friends because of Dumbledore's Army."

"Right. So see, the thing is, you have to focus on them. When you're fighting, it's not to one-up the other guy or show off your best spell or even to try and be the winner. You just have to keep the bad guys away from your people. And you fight and you keep fighting until the other guys stop. Oh, and it's loud and messy. Like, you're going to have to watch out for your footing and jump over stuff, and that's really annoying. And then there's all the crashing and yelling…"

Ernie gave her a worried smile. "So not like in films then? No epic background music?"

Isabel's eyes widened. "Background music? No, I've never had…you know what. We better all get to our places. Good luck! I'm sure you'll be great!" Beaming at Ernie and grabbing George's hand, she began to pull him away in the opposite direction of the others. "Did you hear that?" she whispered, tugging him along. "We're going to need the radio equipment and a phonograph player and a really powerful spell."

"Hey, Fred!" George called over his shoulder. "You and Percy get started on the secret passages. We'll be back in a few minutes!"

Percy blinked at them behind his glasses as a smirk spread across Fred's face. "I hardly think this is the moment, Georgie, but I suppose it might need to be now or never!"

George flushed a bright red as Isabel rolled her eyes. "Boys," she muttered. "Background music, Fred!" she yelled back. "We're getting background music!"

* * *

The clock began to chime the hour. Midnight. It was now officially Christmas Eve. Standing on the aquifer, looking out across the lake Joshua heard Daisy begin to sing softly to herself. _Silent night. Holy night. All is calm. All is bright._

"Doesn't feel much like Christmas, does it?" she asked, as he came to stand next to her.

"Maybe not like the Christmases we're used to. But if Christmas is about bringing light to fight the darkness, then that's just what this feels like."

"Where are you assigned to be?" she asked, snuggling into his side, as he wrapped an arm around her.

"Right here," he answered softly. "With you."

"I'm not even sure why I'm out here," she said. "I thought I could maybe see or hear the warriors better away from the noise inside, but everything's just so quiet. Like they're waiting. But I'm not sure what they're waiting for."

"Maybe they've done everything they can for the moment. And now we have to wait for the other side to make their move."

They stood there silently together, and Joshua looked up at the stars glistening in the clear sky. Beside him Daisy suddenly took in a breath and grabbed for his hand. "Your time here is almost finished," she called into the night, addressing some invisible being. "We're prepared to fight. And this is the day of reckoning. Your wickedness will not be allowed to rise unopposed."

Joshua's eyes searched the blackness, still seeing nothing, but he thought for a moment there was a rumble of faint laughter, so low it was felt more than heard, and then the wind began to shift and pick up strength. He still couldn't see anything, but Joshua felt the atmosphere shift, as if the dark night suddenly grew thicker, the air more oppressive. _Let me see what she sees,_ he begged.

And then it appeared. An expanse of black, darker than the sky. Massive, leathery wings, like those of a bat unfurled from over a horned head, and blotted out the stars. Joshua blinked a couple times to make sure he was seeing what he thought he was seeing, and then looked over at Daisy, her face set determinedly. _Wow. Maybe I don't want to see this stuff all the time._ His hand tightened around his wand, knowing any magic spells probably wouldn't make a bit of difference.

 _You._ The voice hissed, and Joshua wasn't sure if it was a really a voice or the wind howling by.

 _You are the one they sent to oppose me? I thought it was the spy. He was always close to my grasp and yet unreachable. But you…you have been completely hidden from me. Why is that?_

Around them wolves began to howl in chorus, but it echoed though the night more like a song than a cry, and Joshua had to blink back tears at the aching beauty of the sound.

"I don't think I was kept hidden from you. I wasn't that important. I only brought hope," said Daisy in a softer voice. "I brought hope that people could be healed and set free from the fears and hurt that keep them locked up. But where hope arises, your darkness cannot stay. And now you will face your true opponent. A sacrifice made in love."

The laughter rumbled through the night again. _Love is weakness. I have fed my assignment on power until he became a glutton for it. And now there will be many sacrificed to slake his appetite, but none for love._

"You've become arrogant because you thought Tom's warrior left him," called Daisy. "But your arrogance blinded you. And now you will see."

 _No child. Now you will see. And all you will see is death._ The dark specter rose higher in the sky, and then dove at them. Joshua pulled Daisy down, covering her with his body as the wind roared above them. Pieces of rock and stone from the buildings were shorn away from the force and hailed down over them, scratching their hands and faces.

And then suddenly it was over, and Joshua chanced a look around. Standing over and surrounding them were six shining werewolves. Joshua recognized his own from the time he had seen it on the rooftop in London, but the others were surprisedly recognizable as well. Daisy's was obvious, the fur thick and slightly curled. But Xander's red wolf was there too, as well as Hezekiah's, and just overhead, Mamá and Papá's. Joshua reached out a hand towards them as they shimmered and disappeared.

Helping Daisy to her feet, he looked across the lake to see several dozen hooded and cloaked figures making their way toward the castle.

* * *

Outside the Great Hall, Ron and Hermione watched Harry and Snape glower at each other as the wind began to howl around the corners of the castle. Two enormous statues stood guarding the front doors, a dragon with wings unfurled and what looked like a troll, carrying a large stone club. Sirius and Lina were pacing, wands held loosely. Lina had cleaned up a bit and rebraided her hair, but still didn't look anything like Miss Andersson. Her face was wild and dangerous, and the tip of her wand would occasionally spit out sparks, as if all her anger had been channeled into a magic she was just barely keeping under control.

"You can't just run out and meet him," said Severus in exasperation.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm going to do," said Harry bluntly, moving to head for the doors.

" _Incarcerous._ "

The thick ropes wrapped themselves instantly around his body. His arms were tight against his sides, the Elder Wand still clutched in his hand, and Harry blew out a frustrated breath.

"Now that's hardly necessary!" protested Sirius.

"As Mr. Potter has consistently proven himself to be abysmally poor at following advice, I found this quite necessary," replied Severus waspishly.

Sirius sighed heavily. "Harry, I don't think we need to tie you up, but can you at least wait and see?" he asked. "If You-Know-Who is mortal now, then at least let us try to deal with him. Maybe if we kill him first you'll realize it isn't necessary to…to destroy the horcrux in you."

Harry's green eyes glared from between the coils of rope as he tried to shake his head.

" _Finite Incantatum_ ," said Ron tiredly, unraveling the ropes from around Harry. "Look. We hate this too. But for whatever reason, this is Harry's fight. It's always been Harry's fight. We've done what we can, but trying to find another way around it is just wasting time."

Harry looked at Ron gratefully and clapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks, mate."

"But you if you think that means we're not going to stay right here beside you the whole time, you're mental," Ron added with a wavering smile.

"I agree," said Lina brusquely. "If the Seer thinks he has to die, then he probably does. But if we can finish the Dark Lord immediately after, then his lackeys will most likely run, and we can avoid a lot of bloodshed tonight."

Sirius threw her an unaccustomed glare, and Lina gave him a sad smile. "I'm sorry," she said. "If I hadn't cocked up the job at Malfoy's we wouldn't have to worry about this yet. But here we are. I guess pragmatism versus optimism is another Slytherin-Gryffindor parallel."

The doors abruptly flung themselves open, knocking back both statues, and a rush of wind poured through. The dragon and troll limped forward again, a wing conspicuously missing from the dragon, and part of the troll's head crumbling. A blast from a curse obliterated the pair in a shower of stone, and Snape and Lina shoved their way in front of the others, shielding them.

Tom Riddle. Lord Voldemort. You-Know-Who. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

If any of them had hoped that by destroying horcruxes, using his name, mocking him and working tirelessly against his reign would somehow render him less powerful or terrifying, they were quickly disabused of that opinion.

The dark power that swept into the room with him was almost overwhelming, and Harry felt a flicker of new respect for Snape who had worked against him in his presence for so long. Sirius shifted to hide Harry from immediate view, but Voldemort was fixated on Snape.

"Severus, I am disappointed," he said in a cold voice. "I trusted you, I really did."

"My Lord," Snape began, and then stopped, grabbing for his throat as a ribbon of magic shot out from Voldemort's wand and wrapped itself around his neck, squeezing.

"He was under the _Imperius_ curse, you fool," Lina declared, sauntering towards him. "It was me the whole time. I was the one pulling the strings. Feeding information to your enemies. Training people to fight back. Setting your werewolves free."

Voldemort paused, his eyes narrowed as he considered her words. Lina could feel his mind pressing against hers, savage and relentless in his anger, and she began to tremble under the pressure of it.

"Brave words, girl," he finally hissed. "But your body betrays your lies even if I cannot penetrate your mind. You sweat and shiver like a child afraid of the dark." Releasing the cords around his neck, Severus dropped to his knees, gasping. "But it is of little consequence. The penalty for being so weak-willed as to bend to the desires of a woman is equal to the penalty for betraying me. Indeed the penalty for anyone I find lacking in any respect is death."

His wand cut through the air swiftly, and Lina countered, but a split second too late. Her head jerked back once, then twice, as if she'd been slapped, and she staggered backwards, holding a hand to her cheek. Sirius made a move to go to her, but the thought of Harry behind him made him hesitate. Severus had now risen to his feet and placed a steadying hand on Lina's shoulder. The two of them stood there, both expressionless in the face of their anticipated deaths.

Voldemort looked them over curiously, and Hermione, pressing up against Ron's side was reminded of Crookshanks bringing home a mouse. The poor little thing had still been alive, and the huge cat took a perverse delight in watching its struggle to escape again and again only to finally dispatch it with relish.

"How long, Severus?" he asked, tilting his head from side to side slowly, like a serpent mesmerizing its prey. "How long have you been working against me?" His red eyes fastened on to Snape's dark ones with a ferocious intensity, and for the first and last time, Severus allowed Voldemort's _Legilimency_ access to a memory. Himself, barely twenty-one, cringing before Dumbledore as the man stared down at him in contempt. _What will you give me in return for hiding the Potters, Severus?_

Voldemort took a step backwards, as though the memory had actually managed to surprise him. "So long?" he said quietly. "So long have you set your will against me? That is most unfortunate. Given a good reason, I was willing to be merciful, but this is a most unforgivable betrayal."

Voldemort's wand slashed again, but Snape was quick enough to block him. Lina dove for her own wand, and within moments the three were dueling furiously. A cold hatred settled on Voldemort's face, and as quick and ferociously as the other two fought, they couldn't make any headway against him. Voldemort feinted a curse towards Lina, and Snape dove to block it, as Voldemort turned on him. " _Sectum Sempra_ ," he whispered gleefully, and Severus' eyes widened as his own spell threw him to the ground, the slash marks invisible with his black clothing, but in moments trails of blood began to seep from under his body and weave their way across the stone floor.

"No! NO!" Lina screamed, and dropped to his side. "Tell me the counter curse," she begged, her eyes filling with tears as she bent towards him. But try as he might to utter the words, Severus couldn't force them out past the blood pooling in his throat. Trying to focus, Lina reached out with her own _Legilimency_ spell. "Show me," she pleaded as she sifted through the memories, now almost racing by too quickly as Severus began to lose consciousness. Finally she zeroed in on it, Snape kneeling beside Draco Malfoy, softly incanting the words to heal his wounds. " _Vulnera Sanentur,_ " she began chanting softly, hoping her wand movements were close enough to what she was seeing.

"It will hardly matter," said Voldemort in some exasperation. "Why on earth would you bother to heal him when I'm going to kill you all anyway? And Severus is in possession of a wand I need." Pointing his own wand, he gave a little sigh. " _Avada—"_

 _"_ _PROTEGO!"_ Harry yelled, stepping out from behind Sirius, as a shield charm filled the space, separating Voldemort from the rest of them.

Voldemort started slightly as he turned and saw Harry, and then a gruesome and excited smile stretched across his face. "Oh, this is more than I could have possibly wished for. Christmas indeed."

Harry lowered his wand, clearing a throat that had suddenly gone dry. "You don't need them," he said, and gave a silent cheer that his voice wasn't shaking. His other hand reached into his pocket to fumble for the snitch, holding the Resurrection Stone, but as his fingers closed around the fluttering wings he realized he didn't really need it after all. Ron and Hermione were here. Sirius was here. The ones who had always encouraged him at his best and darkest moments. And even now, when they didn't want this to happen, maybe didn't even agree with his decision, they were going to stand with him anyway. What use was a fake spirit compared to that?

Taking a firmer hold of his wand, Harry stepped forward. "Just you and me. Isn't that how you want it?"

Noticing it was the Elder Wand that Harry held, Voldemort hesitated a fraction of a second, but when Harry made no move to attack or defend himself, he hurled the Killing Curse with a howl, and then yelped in triumph when Harry dropped to the ground.

Hermione screamed, and Sirius rushed toward the body, but Voldemort blasted him backwards. Stepping over to Harry, Voldemort toed the body cautiously with a satisfied smile, keeping his wand trained on the rest of them. "Well then. The Boy Who Lived, Come to Die. Is it strange that I'm sorry it was over so quickly? I suppose I expected him to put up more of a fight." Bending over to pick up the Elder Wand, fallen at Harry's side, his smile widened. Voldemort pointed the wand towards the ceiling and a jet of brilliant light shot out, blasting though the roof and out into the night, shattering the dome of protective enchantments that had covered the castle.

"Company is coming. Wormtail," he said, turning toward the cringing, servile man, who had been lingering in the doorway. "I must see to something. I trust you can handle…house cleaning?"

Without a second glance, Voldemort sailed down the hallway toward the staircase tower. Ron and Hermione looked at one another in shock, then at Harry's body, at Lina still working frantically over Snape, Sirius struggling to get to his feet, and finally Peter Pettigrew taking a few shuffling steps into the castle.

"Right," said Ron, his mouth set in a grim line. "You help Lina. I'm taking care of Scabbers once and for all."

Hermione darted over and dropped to her knees beside Lina, leaning in to copy her wand movements and whispered incantation. Ron's wand flashed and Pettigrew countered, the two closely matched as curse and counter curse sparked through the room.

Sirius finally staggered towards them, tossing his hair out of his face. "Don't finish him too quickly, Ron," he growled, drawing his own wand. "I deserve a piece of this bastard myself."

"The boy is dead, Sirius!" Pettigrew cried. "Why continue to fight this? You have a chance to join us!"

"How can you have fought with us, studied with us, eaten with us, _lived_ with us for years and still not know us at all?" roared Sirius. "I will die before I betray my friends! And I will kill you for what you did to them."

The three dueled violently, and Hermione stopped reciting the healing spells several times to shield Lina and Snape from a curse that came too close. Pettigrew's wand movements became more jerky and uncertain as he dueled the pair of them, and finally a curse sailed towards his chest and struck true. His eyes bulged in surprise as he seemed to freeze on the spot before toppling over.

Ron hurried over to Harry and sank to his knees, breathing heavily, as Sirius stood over the body of his fellow Marauder. "Damn you, Wormtail," he whispered, his eyes filling with tears. "Damn you for what you did to us."

Turning away from his former friend, Sirius squared his shoulders and took on the unaccustomed role of commander. "Hermione," he said sharply, "how's Snape?"

"The wounds seem to be closing," she said in a shaky voice. "We need to get him to Madame Pomfrey."

"Lina, take him to the hospital wing. Hermione, go get Madame Pomfrey. She should be setting up a second triage area in the Long Gallery. Ron, we need to get Harry out of here. The other Death Eaters will be arriving any moment now that the barrier is down."

* * *

Remus, Kieran, and Charlie Weasley waited along the edge of the Forbidden Forest. The first they knew of the arriving Death Eaters was seeing a powerful spell shoot up from the castle and demolish the protective barrier. "I came singing in the sun, sword unsheathing," quoted Kieran softly, the light from the immense spell reflecting in his dark eyes. "To hope's end I rode, and to heart's breaking."

"Now for wrath. Now for ruin," finished Remus. "But I hope not," he added with a rueful smile.

A huge explosion lit up the night and they turned to watch the old wooden bridge collapse into flames. "You think that was us or them?" Kieran asked, shifting on his feet and squinting into the darkness, searching the trees for any signs of movement. A barrage of spells from across the lake began to collide with the school.

Remus shook his head, wondering if they ought to head back to castle to help. Sparks and flying colors of different spells began to fill the air as off in the distance they could make out the continuous pop of Xavier's gun from where he was positioned on one of the battlements. Then a great crashing in the underbrush drew their attention, and a giant broke through the trees, swinging a large club

Remus and Charlie began to shoot spell after spell, but the giant managed to evade or be undisturbed by them, so Kieran transformed and charged, lunging for his legs, biting and clawing in an attempt to bring him down. The giant kicked and stomped at the werewolf as he brought down his club, making the earth shudder. One large foot made contact, and Kieran yelped as he was thrown through the air.

Charlie Weasley shouted, " _Evanesco!"_ at the same moment Remus cried, " _Reducio!"_ and they watched in surprise as both spells hit and the giant began to shrink down and then dissolve in a wisp of blue light. Charlie ran over to where Kieran had landed and the werewolf forced himself to transform, letting Charlie pull him to his feet. "It's broken," he ground out through clenched teeth, holding his left arm at a strange angle.

"Yeah, I sort of guessed that," Charlie replied. "Well I'm no good with broken bones. What about you, Remus?"

"Take him inside and see if you can find Madame Pomfrey," called Remus, still pacing in front of the forest. "We'd better all head back. We'll be more help there."

They ran for the castle, Kieran cradling his arm. As they reached the entrance a wall exploded above them, raining rocks down to bounce off Charlie's hastily thrown _Protego._ The sounds of the fighting drowned out a second giant emerging from the forest, and Remus didn't even have time to cry out as the swinging club hit him and threw his body into the trees.

* * *

Harry yawned and stretched, reaching automatically for his glasses on the bedside table. But his hand felt only air. Turning to look, he saw nothing but white all around. Harry rubbed his eyes and blinked to clear them. The white slowly shifted, creating tracks and platforms and the great domed ceiling and old stone columns he was familiar with. Kings Cross Station. He looked around and under the bench where he was sitting for his glasses. They were nowhere to be found, but then he realized he didn't seem to need them anyway. Everything looked perfectly clear.

A soft sound caught his attention, and Harry rose from his seat to look for it. A quavering kind of whimper came from under one of the other benches, and he bent to see if there was a lost animal there. Instead a disturbing sight met his eyes, a shriveled and bloody body looked carelessly shoved underneath, a child-sized creature, flailing frantically as it struggled to breathe. Harry thought he ought to try to help it, but he had no wand, and was loathe to reach out his hand and touch the thing, fragile and hurt though it seemed.

"It's all right," a gentle voice called. "He will be taken care of."

Harry leaped backwards as a huge figure knelt down beside him. The giant silver knight reached out and tenderly scooped up the ravaged body, pausing to nod briefly at Harry before turning away and carrying the creature off into the white expanse, where Harry would have expected to see the train station's escalators.

"I expect you're quite tired aren't you?" the voice this time was accompanied by a hand ruffling his hair the way Sirius sometimes did and Harry felt tears spring unbidden into his eyes. Yes. He was. So very, very tired. Weary of the fighting and anxiety and struggling to act like he had it all together and wasn't afraid.

Harry blinked back the tears and looked to the source of the voice - white robes, white beard - but he couldn't quite focus on the face. "Professor Dumbledore?" he asked hesitantly.

"No," the voice said with a soft laugh. "Although I must admit the beard is similar. You know, I once had a moment like this. Just about this time of night, too. Like you I was asked to accomplish an important task, that at times seemed impossible. And in that moment just before the end, before that last push for victory…you have to ask yourself if it's been worth it. Was it worth it giving up everything to do what you were born to do? Giving up so much for other people's freedom? Shouldn't there have been an easier way?"

This time as Harry looked, the face grew clear. It seemed too young to have such a white beard, the eyes a rich warm brown that looked as if they crinkled with laughter much of the time. "Who are you?" Harry asked. "What was that body? Who took it away? Where are we? Am…am I dead?"

The man laughed again. "All reasonable questions. Where do you think we are?"

"It looks like Kings Cross Station," Harry replied, looking around at the pristine white space.

"It does, doesn't it? What you see is supposed to look like something that makes you comfortable. And I think you picked the train station because you're ready to move on, aren't you? Ready for all this to be over?"

Harry nodded, feeling the weight of exhaustion and emotion once again press down on him. "So I am dead, then?"

"No," the man said firmly. "Not yet. We are in the pause of a moment, the space between heartbeats." He walked over to the bench and sat down, patting the seat next to him for Harry to come sit.

"And what about that…that thing under the bench?" asked Harry with a slight shiver, as he sat down. "What was that?"

"Ah," the man sighed, looking sad. "That is a travesty of Tom's own making. That spell you call the killing curse, it doesn't kill someone the way you might think. It doesn't stop their heart or do anything physical. That spell separates the soul from the body. And so that night in Godric's Hollow when the curse rebounded, separating his soul from his body, a piece of his soul latched itself on to you. And in trying to kill you tonight, Tom has inadvertently done you a great service, and separated that remaining piece of his soul from your body."

"I was the accidental horcrux," Harry murmured. "But that piece of his soul…it…" Harry made a face. "I didn't know whether I wanted to help it or not. It seemed helpless, fragile, but so…awful. What's going to happen to it?"

"What do you think should happen?"

Harry looked surprised. "I don't know. I want him to be finished. I want all this to be over. But…Dumbledore said he might still be saved, that he could put his soul back together if he just felt remorse for what he'd done. So part of me wants that for him too."

The man grinned broadly, proudly, as though Harry had won all his House points singlehanded. "You have recognized an important truth. Justice will be done, you don't need to worry about that. In the end, justice is always done. But justice without mercy is a sad affair. So yes, remorse, repentance, is always an option. To see what a mess you've made of something and try to set it right."

Harry was quiet for several moments as he tried to decide what he really felt about that. What would it look like for Tom Riddle to feel remorse for what he'd done? Was that possible? He'd sunk so deep and so willingly into darkness.

"I tried to warn him," the man said, giving Harry a sad smile, as though he knew his thoughts.

"Warn him? How?"

"Your prophecy. The darkness can not be allowed to rise unchecked."

"But why wasn't he stopped a long time ago? Before things got this bad?"

"I like to work with free will," the man said frankly. "That's the way things were set up a long time ago. Give people a chance to change. But if something is free to be good than it is also free to choose to be bad. This has made evil possible. It is also what makes love and joy and goodness possible. But I was very clear that someone would be sent to oppose him."

"Me," Harry sighed.

"You were raised up for such a time as this."

"But…Dumbledore said Voldemort chose me, that he decided the prophecy was about me."

"Free will again," the man shrugged. "Tricky business. You see, the question of blood status is a wound that has been festering in your people for far too long. And sometimes the fever that accompanies an infection must rise and then break before a wound is healed. So we let the rebellion play itself out, and give people time to choose to do the right thing."

Harry sat there for a moment mulling that over.

"You're worried about something," the man said, a fact, not a question.

"Will it matter?" Harry finally burst out. "I was willing to do whatever it took. Willing to die, so that he could be defeated. Now I have to go back and face him again, face dying all over again. And when it's all over, is anything going to change? Will any of this matter to how wizards treat Muggle-borns or argue about blood status?"

"Are you worried about dying or worried about the world you will leave behind?"

"Well…um…both, really. I guess." Harry ran a hand through his messy hair in frustration.

"As to the first, you have been able to witness first hand something many people never understand. In dying to ourselves we become truly free. You being willing to give up your life is what finally freed you from the evil of Tom Riddle's soul. So in that sense, you didn't come to die. You came to live."

"And the second?"

"It is almost impossible for humans to recognize the ties that bind them together. Those elusive threads that connect people and stories and destinies. If it weren't for you, Hermione could very well have been killed by that troll your first year. If it weren't for Hermione, you wouldn't have been able to free Sirius. Without Sirius, Remus Lupin would have probably given up hope for his own life. Without Remus and Artemis falling in love, Lina wouldn't have joined the Order and fought so hard to ensure the werewolves were freed from the reservation. Without Lina, Severus would have continued his work alone and would never have been forced to face what was truly keeping him in bondage. You were appointed to face Tom Riddle, but each thread is important in its own way. Each person reaching beyond themselves and being willing to sacrifice. That is what will change the world, Harry. As Professor Dumbledore once told you, choices make all the difference! After this battle there will be quite a few who are finally able to recognize the innate treasure in all people, whether they are magical or not, no matter their blood status or House, if they're a werewolf or a House Elf, because they all chose to fight together."

Harry nodded, though he thought that sounded very optimistic. "I…I guess if you're sure things can change. If you're sure it matters. Then I guess I'm ready to go back," he said, taking a deep breath of resolve and running his hands over his jeans restlessly. "Thank you."

"Time to go then," the man said encouragingly as he and the white station began to darken and fade away. "And remember I will always have others fighting with you and for you, even when they are unseen."

"Wait," called Harry. "Do you mean those warriors? And you never said who you actually were!"

A warm laugh echoed around him. "It's Christmas Eve, Harry," he heard the man call back. "I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Harry blinked his eyes and found himself lying uncomfortably on the castle floor. Drops of salty water were falling onto his face, and he peered up to see Sirius, face crumpled in grief and tears falling from his eyes, as he grasped Harry by the arms and began to drag him away, out of the chaos erupting around them. Harry closed his eyes again, trying to stay as limp as possible, thinking through what he had to do next.

* * *

Ellie and Artemis sat quietly in the cozy kitchen, half heartedly sipping, forgetting, rewarming, and forgetting the cups of tea on the table. The radio alternated playing static from the Weasley's equipment and picking up a recording of _Silent Night_ from a nearby Muggle station. The lyrics felt almost obscene in light of what the women worried was happening at the school. This night was anything but holy and peace-filled.

Just then a shining wolf appeared over the table, and Artemis abruptly dropped her teacup, liquid pooling around the spinning cup.

 _I hate that I have to do this,_ came Remus' voice from the wolf Patronus. His voice, weak and garbled, seemed very far away, and Artemis felt her heart stop. _I'm afraid…may not…make it back. I got hit…a giant's club… and I can't…can't quite make myself move. Threw me…into the forest. I just wanted… one last time… love you. Terribly selfish…sorry to make you hear this…but I had to…_

The voice trailed off and the Patronus faded away. Artemis sat completely still for the span of a heartbeat and then rocketed out of her chair, heading for the door.

"Wait!" Ellie called after her. "Artemis, you can't! Ana is—"

"I am not leaving him there!" she yelled over her shoulder, sprinting towards the edge of the property and disapparating.

She landed outside the farmhouse and tore up to the door. "KREACHER!" she yelled, flinging it open. "I NEED YOU!"

The old House Elf peeked out of his room under the stairs with wide eyes. Artemis dropped to her knees in front of him and grabbed his hands. "Kreacher I need you to go to Hogwarts and find Remus. He's been hurt. I want you to bring him back to Ellie's house, okay? She'll look after him."

Kreacher cocked his head and looked at her solemnly. "The Half-Breeds fight He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

Artemis nodded. "Yes. And Remus is injured and I need you to help him. Please Kreacher," she added breathlessly. "I don't want to lose him."

Letting out a world weary sigh, Kreacher snapped his fingers and vanished, leaving Artemis kneeling alone in the hallway.

Heedless of anti-apparation boundaries, protective spells, or barriers, that elusive mysterious magic of the House Elves had led Kreacher to precisely the right spot, and he muttered grumpily to himself as he shuffled toward Remus. "Have to look after the Half-Breeds Kreacher does, for Poor Mistress and her wee beastie. The Ancient and Most Noble House of Black has gone to the dogs it has." Here he stopped and seemed to realize just what he'd said, for a hoarse, croaking sound that no one would have ever mistaken for laughter shook his body.

Ellie would tell Artemis later that she screamed when the pair of them landed unceremoniously in the kitchen, Remus out cold and crashing spread eagle on the table. The whole thing had happened so fast that they arrived a solid minute before Artemis got back.

"It's lucky you found him so quickly," Ellie murmured, in between steadily reciting spells as her wand flashed and swirled over his body. "There's a lot of internal damage. He passed out from the pain."

Artemis waited anxiously for the next several minutes as Ellie was busy stopping the bleeding and repairing things. Finally satisfied that she'd done what she could for the moment, they moved Remus to the bed. "I'm sure he'll wake up shortly. We'll just give his body time to rest and recover itself from the stress of everything. I might have to go in and do some touch up work later."

Nodding numbly, Artemis sank into a nearby chair. She'd almost lost him again. For all his worries about her fighting, he was the one who kept getting injured. First his leg was torn up, then he almost bled out from a bite to the neck, and now this. A throat cleared gruffly beside her, and Artemis looked over at Kreacher, standing there with a glare on his face.

"Thank you Kreacher," she said softly, reaching out to touch his hand. "You saved his life."

"Kreacher has brought the Half-Breed to the Healer," he said, sounding like an old bullfrog. "And now Kreacher will go with Mistress to fight He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

Artemis blinked at him. Stupid perhaps, but she hadn't planned on going to fight. She'd planned on sitting here waiting for Remus to wake up and look at her. But the faces of the rest of their strange patchwork family came instantly to mind. Remus might be safe now, but what about the rest of them? Nodding slowly she tucked her wand into her jacket and held out her hand to Kreacher. "We'll fight for our pack, huh, Kreacher?"

Kreacher shook his head, pulling out a long golden locket from under his shift, the copy of Slytherin's locket. "Mistress can fight for the Half-Breeds," he croaked. "Kreacher will avenge his poor, brave Regulus."

They were gone before Ellie quite knew what was happening, and she stared for a moment at the empty room before deciding Remus probably needed a sleeping draught for good measure. Selfish it might have been, but Ellie didn't want him to wake up and then have to be the one to tell him his wife had gone to fight after all.


	91. Chapter 91

Chapter 91 ~ December 24, 1997

Amid the shouts and flashing spells of the ensuing fights, Sirius and Ron pulled Harry's body into an alcove, and sank down on the floor beside him, covering him with the Invisibility Cloak.

"Where'd he go?" asked Ron. "You-Know-Who? What did he have to see to?"

Sirius shrugged, having a hard time focusing. "I'm not sure, but we have to find him. We have to take him down now that he's completely mortal, or Harry's death means nothing. And no one else can know Harry's gone. They won't understand what happened and it will just create panic."

"Right. I'll head towards the Room of Requirement in case he's looking for the diadem. You go to the Headmaster's Office. Maybe he's trying to get the sword again."

"Not without me," came a muffled voice, as Harry sat up and pulled the cloak away from his face.

"Blimey, Harry! You about gave me a heart attack!" yelped Ron.

"How did you survive…again?" asked Sirius in shock, reaching out to touch Harry's face and ruffle his hair, making sure he was real.

"The curse. It separates a soul from a body. Only this time it separated Voldemort's soul from my body. It destroyed the horcrux without destroying me. Now we can finish him."

"Wait," said Ron, a frown creasing his face. "Only, he's got the Elder Wand now."

"It's all right. I have Draco's wand. The other one should still answer to me."

"How on earth do you figure—" he stopped his own question as a strange thumping sound began to resonate through the hallways.

Sirius could have sworn he saw the walls tremble. "What is that?"

"Giants?" suggested Harry, looking around.

Just then a voice sounded through the corridors, and it felt as if each stone had become a separate speaker as the electric guitars started up.

 _We're not gonna take it!_ _No! We ain't gonna take it!_ _We're not gonna take it anymore!_

Sirius looked at Harry wide-eyed and huffed a disbelieving laugh. "That sounds like Isabel thought we needed a soundtrack."

"How did she manage that?"

"With George and Fred to help her?" huffed Ron. "We'll be lucky if they don't try to take over the world themselves."

Harry grinned, a sort of euphoria spreading through him now that he had survived what he feared, and the end of all they had been fighting for seemed so close. "It's like Ginny said. If you're around the twins long enough, you start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve."

"I'd say you're going to need more than nerve," came a tired voice, "But if you managed to survive another killing curse, maybe nerve is enough." The three looked up to see Lina standing over them, her hands bloodstained and face drawn.

"Harry!" Hermione shrieked, throwing herself at him. "You're alive!"

"How's Severus?" asked Sirius, standing and pulling Lina into his arms.

"He'll live."

Harry clambered to his feet. "So many times Snape tried to save me and I just wouldn't see it. I…I'm glad he's going to be all right."

Lina shot him a dry smile. "You can tell him that later. It will make him terribly uncomfortable. For now, we need a plan."

"I'm sure Voldemort's headed to the Room of Requirement to check on the diadem. Maybe we can trap him in there."

Hermione nodded. "That room should also be able to absorb the damage better."

"What do you mean?" asked Ron.

"Well, if the Room is powerful enough to do what it does, then it should be able to contain the fallout from the spells. I mean, look around. The castle's going to fall apart if this keeps up. And if You-Know-Who is enraged because he's lost the last horcrux and Harry's still here, he could blow the whole place to pieces. He's mortal, but he's still terribly powerful and dangerous."

"Would it be better to draw him outside?" asked Sirius, crossing his arms. "Less collateral damage?"

"I think so," nodded Lina. "Has anyone got an estimate of how many he brought with him."

Sirius shook his head. "We were trying to keep Harry out of the way for the moment."

"From what I can hear, I think we're pretty evenly matched."

"You should all go help," said Harry. "That's four more for our side. I can track him down myself and keep away long enough to get him to follow me outside."

"Ridiculous," said Lina vehemently. "How many lives do you think you have?"

Harry shook his head. "Look, I can stand here and explain everything, or you can trust me. But the Elder Wand is still going to answer to me."

"Harry, I—"

"Fine," said Sirius, his voice allowing no further argument. "I don't like it, but Harry listened because I trusted you. So now you're going to listen because I trust him. We'll still have plenty of fighting to do."

Hermione hugged Harry tightly as Ron slapped him on the back. "Good luck, mate. I think you're mental, but I reckon you've gotten away from him…what is it? Six times now? Lucky seven it is then."

Harry grinned. "Probably should have saved some of that Liquid Luck potion, huh?"

Sirius embraced him, before stepping back and looking into his eyes. "You are truly your father's son. And I am very proud of you. When this is all over I think we need a vacation somewhere or other. How about it?"

"Brilliant," said Harry.

"Look, we can all have a nice cup of tea and a chat later," said Lina exasperatedly.

Ron threw the Invisibility Cloak back over Harry. "No need to draw attention to yourself. Go on then."

"Right," said Hermione, drawing her wand. "Once more into the breach."

* * *

Despite how many battles he had already been a part of, Sirius found himself a little overwhelmed by the chaos as they headed into the stair hall. Ron took off after a tall wizard Sirius didn't recognize as Hermione stopped to help Pavarti Patil, who was down. Lina shouted something he didn't catch, and she raced away after another hooded figure.

Duels were taking place all over the stairways, the ghosts swooping in to distract the dark wizards where they could. Peeves whizzed around cackling as he dropped Snargaluff pods, snagged from the Herbology greenhouses, down onto Death Eaters, their heads suddenly engulfed in wriggling green tubers like fat worms. Neville ran in with Professor Sprout, arms full of Venomous Tentacula, which looped themselves happily around the nearest dark wizard and began reeling them in. A golden werewolf snarled from an upper level, chasing a cloaked figure down the hall. And then large white spheres began falling from somewhere above them, hitting several masked wizards. He chanced a glance upward to see Professor Trelawney, the Divination teacher, beaming over the banisters though her frizzy hair and enormous glasses as she hurled the crystal balls from her classroom, shrieking, "Come and see what your future holds!" And pulsing behind it all, throbbing through the stones of the castle were the bass notes and drum beats of Twisted Sister's anthem of rebellion.

Sirius ducked a curse thrown by Mulciber and then found himself facing off against against MacNair. "I've been waiting to see you," Sirius said, with a smirk. "You were going to execute my Hippogriff. He's fine, by the way. We were living it up on a Mediterranean island for a while, but he's back with his herd now. And I've met your lovely daughter, Ellie, and your grandson. We're lucky you and I, having some werewolves in the family." MacNair grunted in anger, but stumbled as a huge explosion rocked the foundation of the castle.

His last spell knocking the man out, Sirius peered down the staircase to the lower level. The kitchen door was hanging open by one hinge and an army of House Elves began to swarm up the stairs, pouring through the hallways waving carving knives and cleavers. Sirius, frozen in shock, let out a slightly hysterical laugh as a huge mountain lion leaped over them, Kreacher astride it. He clung to the fur with one hand while brandishing a butcher knife with the other, Regulus' locket bouncing on his chest. His deep scratchy voice yelled, "Fight! Fight! Fight for the honor of House Elves! Fight the Dark Lord for brave Regulus! Fight!" Leaping from the mountain lion, he and the rest of the House Elves attacked, hacking and stabbing the ankles and shins of Death Eaters, their tiny faces alive with malice.

Artemis transformed back and Sirius grabbed her in a fierce hug. "What are you doing here?!" he hissed in her ear. "Remus is going to be livid! But brilliant idea to bring Kreacher! That was the best thing I've seen in ages!"

Artemis pushed her hair back from her face. "Remus isn't here. He got hurt out on the grounds and sent me a Patronus, like some sort of last message. So I went to the farm and asked Kreacher to find him and bring him to Ellie's. She's looking after him and I came here."

Sirius nodded, but looked worried. "He's not going to be happy about that. How bad was he hurt?"

"Pretty bad, but Ellie was able to patch him up. He's unconscious right now, so he can be not happy about this later. But at least he's not alone outside thinking he's going to die and Ana still has both her parents and I'm trading missions like I promised," she said with a rueful smile, and Sirius held his hands up placatingly.

"No arguments here. But I'm sticking to you like glue, because there is no way I'm going to be the one who has to tell him you got killed."

"Deal," she nodded, and stalked off towards the fighting, Sirius hurrying to catch up.

* * *

Lina had her own score to settle. If she were totally honest, she probably had a few, but this one she would handle right now. The Death Eater she was following had been waylaid by Professor Vector, the Ancient Runes teacher, and they were dueling on one of the many staircases, five floors up. Lina had just caught up when the staircase began to move and she was left on the wrong side of the tower. The abrupt shift caused Professor Vector to stumble, and the Death Eater cast one final curse, knocking the man off the stairs to tumble down to the stone floor below.

Lina threw a spell and the masked Death Eater turned to face her across the cavernous tower. "Traitorous witch!" he screamed. "Did you think we wouldn't hunt you and that double-crossing Snape down like dogs!"

A growl sounded behind her, and Lina glanced quickly back to see Kieran standing on a balcony to her left. "I'm glad you're here," she muttered. "You might like to witness this. Claudius Burke!" she yelled, her voice carrying over the electric guitars wailing through the castle. "Did you think you were ever going to make it out of this alive?"

Ellie's husband began to fling haphazard hexes at the witch and werewolf, his fury making him unpredictable and careless. "Where is my wife?!" he screeched. "Did you help her escape?!"

"Of course I did you twat! What kind of complete tosser gives his own son to a monster like Fenrir Greyback?! You are the lowest piece of worm-ridden filth I have ever encountered. _I_ helped Ellie and your son escape. _I_ covered their tracks. _I_ took her memories to keep the other werewolves safe. That was all me, Burke. And now I'm going to make sure you can never touch any of them again!"

The staircases once more began to move, and Burke was heading back towards them. Lina, an avenging fury, slashed the air with expert wand movements, and the Death Eater began to stumble and falter trying to avoid them. As his portion of the stair crashed into their own, Kieran lunged, and Burke flung himself off the side, shying away from teeth and claws.

" _Avada Kedavra_ ," Lina muttered, aiming her wand at the falling figure. The green jet of light hit his body at the same moment he crashed into the stone floor.

Kieran transformed and leaned over the railing to see the crumpled figure, before turning back to Lina. "All this fighting. It blurs the line between casualties and murder, doesn't it? But I can't summon up even a morsel of guilt about killing that man. I just wish I'd done it back it August."

Lina sighed, leaning for a moment against the balcony railing. "Regrets are a waste of time," she said. "If you'd killed him in August, and kept him from taking Ellie, we may not have been able to get Colleen out of there. And Ellie said she wouldn't have survived that next full moon. And it's better that it was me than you. Then you don't ever have to explain to Finn that you killed his father."

"Yeah," he said softly, nodding his agreement. "There will be enough difficult conversations as it is. That is definitely one I don't need to have."

* * *

Having exhausted his ammunition, Xavier transformed and ran along the battlement. He had to shake off the memories of Beirut, house to house fighting, never knowing what was inside the next door. Give him an open field every time, thank you very much.

He ducked inside, creeping from shadowed corner to shadowed corner, trying to scent out how many were nearby and if he recognized any of them. It had been over an hour not knowing locations on the rest of his pack, and he was starting to get antsy.

Xavier came to an intersection of two corridors, and paused to sniff the air again. Sulphuric spells, smoke and charred wood from the burning bridge, the remnants of hundreds of school children. It was busy and hard to narrow down individuals. At last he caught a hint of werewolf, and turned down the hallway in pursuit. But just a few steps in he recognized another scent and huffed irritably, picking up his pace. Gareth was not supposed to be here.

Following the trail, he heard the sounds of a fight, and slowed up, evaluating the best way forward. A huge gargoyle had fallen, blocking the way in, and he opted for a better line of sight, leaping onto the statue's back and scrabbling up on its head.

It was another corridor, but as large as a room, lined with empty picture frames, and at one end the injured were being laid out and assessed by Madame Pomfrey. Gareth was dueling a squatty looking Death Eater at the opposite end, while a red werewolf snapped and snarled, keeping a second Death Eater away from the injured, while from pallets and stretchers a few spells were being feebly cast in an attempt to help.

Launching himself off the statue, Xavier flew past Deirdre and sank his teeth into the second Death Eater, throwing him against the wall with a satisfying thunk. Distracted by his sudden attack, the dark wizard missed Gareth's final curse and dropped to the floor like a lead weight.

Transforming back, Xavier walked over to the triage area and grabbed a spare cloth, wiping his mouth and spitting out the blood. "You aren't supposed to be here," he said frowning at the younger werewolves. "And she hasn't done any fighting," he added, pointing at Deirdre. "What were you thinking?"

"We heard the radio," Gareth said, trying to sound frank and not defensive. "I was going to come alone, but Deirdre grabbed me as I disapparated. I had to help, Xavier. I had to. I couldn't sit there wondering if I was going to be the only one left by morning."

Xavier gave him a stiff nod. "Have you seen any of the others?"

"We passed Kieran and Remus as we came inside, so they both know we're here, but we came in this way and haven't seen anyone else."

Xavier nodded again, his eyes starting to look worried. "Madame Pomfrey?" He asked in a quiet voice, walking towards the matron. "I'm sorry to bother you ma'am, when you're so busy, but I was wondering when you last saw Catherine? I think she was working with you to set up the dispensary…"

"Yes, yes," Madame Pomfrey said in a fluttering kind of way as she moved quickly from patient to patient, stabilizing and appraising their injuries. "She went to the Hospital Wing to check on some patients and bring back the potions we've run out of…although I must say I expected her back before now…"

Xavier headed determinedly towards the opposite end of the hallway. "Stay here and keep protecting the injured," he ordered the other two. "Neither one of you know the layout of the castle."

Gareth was trying to decide whether to agree or protest when Sirius and Fred came in, holding up an unconscious Isabel between them. "What happened?" he asked, hurrying over to them.

"Why are you here?" asked Sirius, at the same moment Fred said grimly, "She shoved me out of the way and got hit when a wall exploded."

The two carried her to a pallet and Madame Pomfrey tutted and clucked over her as her wand flashed. "She's stable. Minor head injury. I'll keep an eye on her, but she should be fine. Rest is best."

"George, have you seen Catherine?"

The red head sank down beside Isabel, shaking his head. "Sorry, no. And I'm Fred. I can't find George, as it happens. My other brother, Percy, and I were dueling the Minister of Magic and one of his henchmen. Percy tells the Minister that he should consider this his official resignation…hilarious…I didn't know he had it in him, honestly. George and Isabel came in just then and George heard him and started laughing. Percy took down the Minister. Can you believe that? The Minister of Magic? And then the one I was fighting, Runcorn, bear of a bloke, blasts the wall over my head. Isabel pushed me out of the way."

Fred looked up and Xavier saw tears in his eyes. "There was so much dust it took me a minute to realize what had happened. I couldn't see George anywhere and Percy…Percy was dead. Isabel was still breathing, so I started carrying her away, and then Sirius found us. But I left…I left Percy there. And I don't know what happed to Georgie."

Xavier looked at Sirius. "They were in the corridor outside the Hospital Wing," Sirius explained. "The whole corridor collapsed. We couldn't get through to the Hospital Wing itself, so we brought her here."

"Right. Fred, you stay here," Xavier directed the shaking boy. "Madame Pomfrey could use an extra wand in case any Death Eaters come sniffing around. Gareth and I just took care of a couple. Sirius and I will head back towards the Hospital Wing and see if we can scent out George. He might have just gotten trapped somewhere when the corridor collapsed. And Catherine was supposed to be in the Hospital Wing as well, so she and the other patients might be stuck back there."

"You know, she may have gone down to the Potions Storeroom if the Dispensary didn't have what she needed," Madame Pomfrey called after them. "That might be what's taking her so long."

"We can look for her there," offered Gareth. "Just point us in the right direction."

"Potions are down in the dungeons," said Sirius. "You can follow us to the staircase tower and then you'll head left towards the Great Hall and down."

Xavier shook his head. "They aren't familiar with the layout of the castle, and the stairs move and it'll be too easy for them to get lost."

"We can do it," said Gareth firmly. "Deirdre's actually really good at tracking. She's been working with the kids. If we head that way and there's no trace of werewolf, we'll come right back. I promise."

Reluctantly, Xavier nodded, and the group made their way back to the chaos of the main stairs and then split up. As they headed past the dilapidated kitchen door on the first lower level of the castle, Deirdre suddenly changed back. "Why did you say I was good at tracking?'" she asked.

"Aren't you?" Gareth said casually, using his wand to light up the darker side halls. "You're always running training exercises with the kids."

"They're kids. We never go more than half a mile out, and they're already familiar with the smells."

Gareth stopped and looked at her. "I said it because I needed them to trust us to help. I can't sit back there waiting for a Death Eater to maybe come along when the rest of my family is out here fighting. Now come on. We haven't checked down here to the right yet."

Deirdre transformed again and then suddenly shoved him flat against the wall. A moment later, a herd of galloping desks thundered past, directed by a sprinting Professor McGonagall who didn't seem to notice them. Her hair was falling down from its pins and there was a gash on her cheek. As she headed up the stairs they could hear her yell out, "CHARGE!"

Gareth shook his head in amazement. "I've fought at least a dozen times, and I've never seen anything like this." The red wolf huffed an agreement before pausing to sniff the air again.

"Which way next?" Gareth asked, looking back down the hall, but she stood perfectly still, and he noticed her posture stiffen and hackles rise just as a masked and hooded Death Eater strode into view. Gareth raised his wand beside the werewolf, daring the man to keep coming.

A low chuckle emanated from behind the mask. "I wasn't certain I would get the pleasure," said a smooth voice. "In fact I wasn't certain I would be able to tell which one you were, if you had indeed survived. But here you are. How fascinating."

"Who are you?" Gareth snapped. "And how do you know me?"

"My dear boy, it's almost like looking back to my own school days to see you here. Rather a pity it has to end this way."

The Death Eater flung back his hood and the mask dissolved away. Gareth froze at the cruel looking, older version of himself and beside him Deirdre let out a faint whimper. The moment of surprise was all he needed, and Travers flung a spell, the wall behind them exploding in a shower of rock. Deirdre felt one of her legs buckle and crack as the stones hit her, and she fell heavily to the floor. Ears ringing from the blast, she shook her head and noticed Gareth laying beside her, not moving and partially covered in debris.

Struggling up on three feet, she let out a strident howl before grabbing Gareth's collar and trying to drag him out from under the rubble, the Death Eater still standing there watching them. "I offered you to the Dark Lord to help bring in the new world order," Travers began thoughtfully. "And now after all this time you fight against us. Why is that, I wonder? The Dark Lord can offer you a freedom you can't imagine. No more hiding or skulking about like…well, like animals. In fact Greyback is dead. I'm sure you know that. So there's a bit of a power vacuum among the beasts. Perhaps what they need is new leadership."

Finally pulling Gareth free, Deirdre tried to turn and convey to the dark wizard exactly what she thought of his ridiculous monologue, but her leg gave out and she collapsed with a yelp of pain. "And what precisely are you to him?" Travers continued, tapping his wand idly against his chin, as his eyes roamed over her. "You aren't changing back, so I'm assuming either the injury impedes you in some way or you simply don't care to. Interesting. I think the Dark Lord would be very eager to hear of a new pair of werewolves that could restart his army. You are a female, aren't you? That might be even easier. We can simply breed a litter rather than trying to turn them one at a time."

Apparently coming to some sort of conclusion, Travers pointed his wand at them and Deirdre bared her teeth, shifting as much as she could to shield Gareth. Just then a pair of black wolves skidded around a corner towards them, and Joshua swiftly transformed, firing a hex at the Death Eater. The dark wizard ducked and pointed his own wand at Joshua, but didn't fire, laughing as he paced back and forth, keeping his wand trained on them.

Daisy transformed as well and knelt beside Gareth, pulling out her wand. " _Innervate,"_ she said sternly and then sighed in relief as her brother jerked awake and tried to sit up. He scrambled to his feet, wand in one hand, the other held against his head, where a wound dripped steadily with blood.

"Two pairs of werewolves then? How charming. Lord Voldemort will be pleased with this."

"Why?" Gareth bit out the single word.

"Why? Why do we want werewolves or why did I give you up? My own son?" the Death Eater asked, and Joshua abruptly stopped the next spell forming in his mind, looking from the dark wizard to his brother and back again, studying their faces. He supposed it was no wonder Sirius and some of the other Order members had trouble dealing with Gareth in the beginning. There was no question he was related to this man.

"Impossible to deny it now, but at the time I was certain you weren't my son. You could have been anyone's the way your slut of a mother behaved. So it seemed the best way to get rid of you. Worse case you die, best case the Dark Lord gained a new servant. And either way I am lauded for donating to the cause."

Deirdre growled, but Travers laughed again. "Children!" he spat out, his voice mocking, "Four against one and you can't bring yourselves to kill me. Half-Breeds playing at revenge."

Their faces were now set in matching furious expressions, but where Travers' blue eyes were alight with malevolence, Gareth's were filled with pain. Deirdre transformed and tried to pull herself up, before collapsing back on the ground, her leg clearly mangled. "You were right," she panted at Travers, gritting her teeth against the pain. "He's not your son. He's nothing like you, and he didn't come here for revenge."

Travers' lip curled in disgust and he jabbed his wand towards her. Gareth and Joshua moved simultaneously, Gareth lunging towards Deirdre as Joshua hurled a spell. Travers flew backwards as his own curse hit the pile of rubble behind them, blasting apart the chunks of stone and mortar. Joshua grabbed Travers' wand and used a spell to tie him up as Daisy stood there motionless, her wand maintaining a shield around the other two.

"How bad is it?" Joshua asked, as Daisy released the shield and pulled out a bandage from her bag, pressing it against Gareth's head.

"Gareth's all right I think. He still hasn't met a rock harder than his head," muttered Daisy, inexpertly wrapping a second bandage around him and then rummaging once more in her bag. She pulled out a vial and moved to Deirdre, tilting her head back to dribble some of the pain potion in her mouth.

Gareth sat there silently, as Daisy and Joshua talked over him, voices echoing faintly in his head. He was sweating and shaking at the same time. His blood pounded furiously through his head as the words became a litany.

 _Why do you keep trying to prove that you're more than a Death Eater's son?_

 _I was certain you weren't my son._

 _I am proud of the man you have become. And your mamá was proud of you too._

 _It seemed the best way to get rid of you._

 _You're just like Oscar in all the ways that count._

 _You could have been anyone's the way your slut of a mother behaved._

 _Eres mi hijo. Don't let anyone ever try and tell you something different. You are my son._

"Deirdre's leg is a mess, and she's lost a lot of blood. We have to get her to a healer."

"I heard someone say they were taking the wounded to the Long Gallery."

"Okay. I have stretchers in here somewhere," said Daisy, reaching once more into the pack. "Madame Pomfrey thought it might be easier to enlarge them than worry about transfiguring something nearby into one…"

"Gareth, NO!"

Daisy looked up to see Joshua lunge toward Gareth, wrestling away the wand his brother had aimed at the Death Eater.

"YOU ARE NOT MY FATHER!" Gareth screamed, fighting to get away from Joshua's grasp. "I AM NOTHING LIKE YOU!"

Finally managing to get away, Gareth hurled himself towards Travers, fists flying. He landed two good punches, breaking the man's nose and crushing his knuckles into the cheek bone. Travers' head pitched backwards and hit a corner of rock, knocking him unconscious before Joshua could pull Gareth back.

"Gareth, stop! You can't deal with him like this!"

"We've killed others," Gareth snarled, breathing heavily. "What's the difference?"

"It's different," Joshua said sternly, placing his hands on Gareth's shoulders and looking him dead in the eye. "You know it is. You're not like him."

Head pounding and eyes welling up with tears, Gareth collapsed onto Joshua's shoulder, and his brother held him tightly, murmuring to him in Spanish.

"Let's hide him behind some of these rocks and focus on getting you and Deirdre to someone with better healing spells than I know," Daisy said tying off the bandages on Deirdre's leg.

Gareth nodded and swiped at his eyes with some embarrassment. Joshua levitated Travers up and over the rubble, tucking him back near what used to be a corner of the end of the corridor and shifting the rocks up around him, hiding him from view. "There," he said looking at the place from all angles. "Nobody will notice him there, so that's at least one more Death Eater out of the way. Now let's see about getting back upstairs."

Daisy suddenly froze and looked up at something near the ceiling. "I have to get back outside," she said, standing to her feet and heading for the stairs. "You two can manage Deirdre."

Joshua felt a moment of panic, looking to his brother and Deirdre and then back to Daisy. "Wait," he began. "I need—

"Go," said Gareth, nodding towards his sister, and sniffing, his voice rough. "You need to stick with her. I'll make sure Deirdre's taken care of."

Joshua nodded and took off up the stairs after her.

Gareth looked at the girl beside him, "You okay if I levitate you?"

Deirdre made a face. "The pain potion helped. Can I just limp? Then your wand will be free in case we run into anybody else."

Gareth nodded and held out his hand to her, pulling her to her feet and putting her arm over his shoulder to help hold her up. "Thanks, by the way," he muttered. "For what you said."

"Forget it. If it weren't for my leg I would have ripped his throat out myself."

* * *

When Sirius and Xavier reached the collapsed corridor to the Hospital Wing, Artemis was already there dueling the huge Death Eater that had earlier been fighting Fred. They could hear shouts and spells firing from behind the massive pile of rocks and stones inside the Hospital Wing itself and Xavier immediately began sniffing around the edges of the debris.

Sirius jumped in to help Artemis. After a number of shared missions, the pair moved synchronously together, alternating hexes to throw off their opponent, knowing instinctively where the other would be and what spell they were likely to use. Runcorn was soon overwhelmed and Sirius caught Artemis' eye, nodding. They simultaneously cast and the Death Eater was blasted back, flying through a window and dropping to the lake below.

Suddenly Xavier let out a whine. By the time the others reached him he had transformed and was frantically pulling rocks away from a red-haired wizard. Artemis and Sirius used their wands to levitate the larger rocks out of the way. She couldn't tell what his injuries were, but George's breathing was clearly labored. She then heard Jane howl further down the dark passage way, behind the pile of rubble, and Xavier howled in return.

Sirius placed his wand to his throat to make his voice louder so those on the other side could hear. "We have to clear a path," said Sirius. "Any wands that side start shrinking and shifting the rocks away."

Together they set to work, Xavier alternating between digging through looser rock with his paws and transforming back to heave larger stones out of the way with his bare hands. Soon they were all dust covered and coughing, Xavier's hands blistered and bloody.

A small tunnel was finally cleared, spells holding the more unstable rocks in place, and Artemis saw a tangled mess of curly black hair making her way through.

"What on earth are you doing here!" Jane cried, throwing her arms around Artemis.

"Long story. Who's back there with you?"

"Hawthorne's out cold. I'd just brought him in when the hall collapsed. Catherine's here trying to keep some kids calm. One of the students brought in a friend. She's missing her eyes. He's kind of a mess about it. I was the only one trying to move the rocks until Professor Snape came to and helped. Wasn't sure he was going to make it after that. He sort of collapsed back on his bed and his wounds are starting to bleed again. Cat's doing what she can, changing the bandages and giving him some potions." She paused her slew of speech and sighed, pushing some loose hair out of her face. "Did you know my No-Maj grandparents immigrated to the United States from Poland because of stuff like this?" she said dejectedly. "My name was supposed to be Janeska Nowakowski. But now I'm just Jane Novak, because some people thought their blood was better than mine."

Artemis nodded, and squeezed Jane's shoulder. "Those guys didn't win, and these won't either. Come on, Nowakowski. This fight's not finished yet."

* * *

Harry hurried as fast as he dared under the cloak, making his way up to the Room of Requirement. Should he try and keep Voldemort there or lead him outside? He guessed making a decision didn't really matter until he found him.

The seventh floor corridor was deserted, although Harry could make out the doors to the Room of Hidden Things. He was still inside then. Trying to be as silent as possible, Harry opened the door and slipped inside.

He paused to cast a few spells to keep the doors locked and Voldemort inside, although it probably was a feeble attempt at best. Sneaking among the piles and mountains of items, Harry could hear crashing and an icy voice cursing and talking to itself. Tom Riddle was incensed, flinging things around in his growing fear that the diadem was gone.

"We destroyed it," Harry called, seeing the man freeze and turn toward his voice. "They're all gone. Every last one. It's just you and me now."

Voldemort's red eyes narrowed as he scanned the room. " _Homenum revelio_ ," he yelled, his wand flashing.

Harry stood there for a moment, fully expecting Voldemort to see him, and then figured maybe the cloak was even more enchanted than that spell. "You know my voice, don't you? It's Harry. Harry Potter. Maybe I'm a ghost," he called. "And you're now forever doomed to be haunted by the Boy Who Lived, even lived on in death."

Inching as silently as he could, Harry came up closer and pulled away the cloak. " _Stupefy_!" he yelled, but even furious, a little terrified, and caught off guard, Voldemort was fast, and the spell was deflected. _Probably should have practiced that silent casting more._ Harry thought ruefully.

His eyes glinting maniacally, Voldemort began to throw curses and hexes, toppling piles of furniture and Harry ducked away, running towards the cathedral style windows. Hermione was right. The man could bring the whole castle down in a fit of temper.

"Over here!" Harry yelled, and then ducked the next spell that came flying, shattering the window behind him.

Voledmort approached him, more angry than wary, the Elder Wand clutched tightly in his hand. "Ghosts cannot carry wands and cast spells," he hissed, poking Harry's chest with the wand. "How did you survive again?! You're just a boy. A boy who has always relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him."

"Love is sacrifice," Harry replied with a half smile. "Maybe you should try it." Grabbing him, Harry leaped backwards out the window. For a split second he wondered if this was how they would die, both mortal, dashed to pieces on the ground below. But Voldemort halted their descent, and then they were flying, twisting and turning as he dodged towers and rooflines trying to dislodge Harry. And Harry clung on as tightly as he would to his broom, wondering if maybe one of Lina's plans would have been helpful after all.

They thudded to the ground in the Entry Courtyard outside the Great Hall, harder than he'd ever landed at Quidditch, both rolling and scraping along the concrete. Harry thought longingly of Sirius' offer of a vacation as he scrambled around for his wand and hauled himself achingly to his feet.

Their madcap trip from the Room of Requirement to the courtyard had apparently been witnessed by more than a few people, because a crowd was starting to gather on the steps up to the Great Hall. Voldemort was breathing hard and slower to block the next spell Harry cast, but Harry himself was exhausted and could feel his wand doing most of the work for him.

From the crowd, a few people began to throw their own hexes toward Voldemort as Sirius came forward to help, but Harry caught Sirius's eye and shook his head, "I don't want anyone else to try to help," he said loudly. "It's got to be like this. It's got to be me."

"Potter doesn't mean that," Voldemort said, his red eyes wide. "That isn't how he works, is it? Who else are you going to sacrifice today, Potter?"

Sirius tried to move toward Harry again, but Lina held him back. "Nobody," said Harry simply. "There are no more horcruxes. It's just you and me. Would you like me to tell you about our prophecy? Neither can live while the other survives…"

The crowd watched, mesmerized, as the pair kept circling each other, throwing words back and forth instead of spells. Voldemort grew more and more agitated as Harry remained calm.

"You see, the thing is, you can't survive the way things are now. Your soul is fractured, you're barely hanging on. But you can be whole again. Did you know that?"

"Yes, by destroying you!" Voldemort hissed.

"No, it doesn't really have anything to do with me. I just happened to be the one who wouldn't give up. That's what made me a Gryffindor I expect. No, you can be whole again if you just recognize what you've done and be sorry about it. Repentance. That's it."

"Why should I be sorry for trying to purify and elevate our people to their rightful place in the world?"

"Oh come on. That's not what this was ever about. This was always just about you having power. All the minions. The horcruxes. The Deathly Hallows. It's not yours, by the way," Harry continued in a conversational tone. "The Elder Ward. Didn't ever belong to Professor Snape either."

"Merlin, he sounds like Moony," Sirius remarked to Artemis. "Here comes the lecture voice."

"Because Snape didn't disarm Dumbledore," Harry continued mildly. "Someone else did. And I disarmed them."

"But I killed you once. So now it is mine."

"Debatable. You didn't technically kill me. You killed the part of you that was attached to me. I was an extra horcrux. Don't think you knew that. And since my plan was to let you do it, you haven't bested me either. So assuming it actually works, the Elder Wand is still mine. Shall we try it?"

Everyone could feel the magic crackling in the air, building, until two voices cried out simultaneously:

" _Avada Kedavra_!"

" _Expelliarmus_!"

A loud bang, like a cannon blast rang out, green spell collided with red, and the Elder Wand spun up into the air. Just that quickly, it was all over. Harry caught the wand as Voldemort dropped, lifeless, to the ground. After one shocked moment of silence, cheers and screams and roars of the spectators filled the air.

Sirius ran over the Harry and threw his arms around him, squeezing him tight and pounding him on the back. "I aged ten years in those last ten seconds!" Sirius cried. "Don't ever do something like that again! I don't care if you do possess the most powerful wand in the world."

Harry gave a shaky laugh and promptly snapped the Elder Wand in two, handing the pieces to Sirius.

* * *

Standing on the fringes of the crowed, Daisy looked up to the sky as Tom Riddle died, and watched the great winged darkness rise and churn in anger over the towers of the castle. But like stars appearing in the early evening, pinpoints of light began to appear and grow around him until he was surrounded by hundreds of warriors.

 _Even in your fleeting victory I collect more souls,_ the voice mocked, echoing around the stone edifice. _Those who now grieve will carry their hurt and anger and bitterness with them over their losses._

"Maybe," nodded Daisy. "Some of them might. Grief hurts. But I think the'll also remember what they were fighting for tonight, to bring and end to Tom's plan. He only wanted to feel important and powerful, and he hurt so many people trying to hang on to those feelings. But feelings don't last. They won't carry you through when life is hard. Only love can do that, and the people you love. The people who stick around no matter how feelings might change."

 _You are foolishly optimistic. This is not the end. You may have destroyed my host, but you cannot destroy me._

"I know. You guys have all been fighting for millennia," she said, waving her wand to indicate the shining beings around them. "But someday you're going to lose for good. And until then there will always be people like me to help them fight against you. And to encourage the other anointed ones, people like Harry and Professor Snape, who need to find hope and let go of their own bitterness."

As one, the warriors drew their swords and charged at the blackness. The blades struck and their enemy began to writhe and twist on the points until the shadow broke apart, and Daisy felt something rush past her into the night. She looked over at Joshua, always her brave knight, ready to fight for her and with her, although he looked a little pale at the moment.

He met her gaze and cleared his throat awkwardly. "I, uh… I saw everything tonight. What did Horatio say to Hamlet? This is wondrous strange!"

Daisy laughed, the night feeling all at once clear and cold and full of promise. Christmas Eve. A story of hope. "Yeah, and then Hamlet tells him, as a stranger give it welcome. For there are more things in heaven and earth, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

* * *

Exhausted as everyone was, the werewolves, with Sirius, combed the castle and grounds checking for possible survivors and helping lay out the dead, most of whom were Death Eaters. But there were still losses on their side. Percy Weasley was gone, as was Padma Patil, and Professor Vector. Marjorie Twicklesmith's father, a proud Hufflepuff, had fallen fighting side by side with Corelia Davesham's mother, a sixth generation Slytherin. Dedalus Diggle and Elphias Dodge, veterans of both wars, had gone down together. And little Hestia Jones had died protecting a wounded Draco Malfoy from the very people he'd spent most of his life idolizing after the young man had finally decided to abandon the Dark Lord's cause.

Everyone with magic went to work setting the castle back to rights, and finally given a moment to rest, Lina slumped down against an empty patch of wall in the Great Hall. Kieran and Artemis had left almost immediately to see Ellie and Remus, Artemis already preparing her apology for coming to fight after she'd promised not to. Sirius was fast asleep, sprawled out on the floor, one arm flung across Harry's legs as though he were afraid to let him get too far away. Catherine was asleep as well, her head pillowed on Xavier's shoulder. He was still wide awake and watching the room warily. Lina's eyes caught and held his and she nodded at him in solidarity. A soldier who had seen too many battles, and had some trouble letting them go. Gareth, Joshua, Daisy and Deirdre were all piled together in a heap of fur. And Isabel sat silently holding George's hand as his family gathered around the body of their own prodigal son.

A cup of strong coffee was pressed into her hands and Lina looked up at a the care worn face of Severus Snape. Her mentor, her ally, now her friend. "You should still be in the Hospital Wing," she chided him, wrapping her hands gratefully around the warmth of the cup.

"With all the shouting and crashing as the fools tried to clear the corridor, I couldn't sleep," he said dryly, wincing as he lowered himself to sit beside her.

"He did it," she said after a moment, watching Harry talk quietly with Ron, whose arm was wrapped around a dozing Hermione.

"He did." Severus nodded. "Handled himself quiet admirably in fact."

Lina snorted. "I'm fairly certain he feels the same way about you. But if you two drop all your animosity and start tossing compliments back and forth people will think one of you is bewitched."

He huffed an acknowledgement and lapsed into silence, watching the activity of the Great Hall. "I've lived and worked in this castle for over twenty years," he remarked after a while. "It will be strange to leave it."

"Why should you leave?"

"You can't imagine they'd let me stay…after everything…"

"Well, I know Hogwarts is going to need both Defense and Potions instructors. I'm out. The Carrows have been carted away. Slughorn is already packing his things. Said he was too old and should have stayed retired. Even Binns is leaving."

"Binns? How is that possible? Is he going to stop teaching and just haunt the castle?"

Lina shook her head. "Apparently all this was enough to make him realize he was a ghost, and he decided to move on."

"Move on? Move on to what?"

"Just on, I guess," Lina shrugged. "I don't know what happens. And not just him. Helena Ravenclaw and the Baron are leaving too. I guess everything that happened brought them both some sort of closure."

Snape sighed. "Without the Baron Peeves will be even more impossible to deal with."

Lina laughed. "If that's your biggest problem then I think you're in pretty good shape." She leaned over slightly and nudged him with her shoulder. "It's been a honor, Sir. Truly."

Severus allowed a brief smile to cross his face. "Likewise, Miss Laurent. And what do you think your next adventure will be?"

Lina looked back at Sirius, his dark hair splayed as he let out a little snore, and smiled. "You know," she said, her voice sounding surprised. "I think I might get married."

* * *

Ellie poured herself another cup of tea, hoping it would help her stay awake. The night had been short and stress-filled while the children slept, blissfully unaware of the events that had taken place overnight. And of course they had woken well-rested and delighted to find a light snow falling close to day break. Kieran had grabbed a quick nap and then wrangled them all outside where they valiantly tried to assemble some vestige of a snowman out of the meager snowfall. Finn had been incoherent with delight that his mummy had brought his daddy home for Christmas like she'd promised, even a day early.

Remus played peek-a-boo with Ana and her stuffed wolf while under strict orders not to try and pick her up or carry her until his injuries had completely healed. He'd protested, but finally agreed not to leave the sofa when Ellie threatened him with another sleeping draught. Ana crawled over to the handkerchief covered toy and yanked on the fabric with a squeal, while Remus' wand vanished the toy, making it appear in his hand. Ana's dark head turned toward him as she fisted the square of cloth and waved it around, squealing. Seeing her little wolf in his hand she crawled over to him, pulling herself up by his trouser legs and reaching for the toy eagerly, babbling, "Da da da da!"

Waking from her own nap, Artemis stumbled out of her room towards the kitchen in search of caffeine, and Remus smiled as she passed him. Hair in a messy pile on her head with her wand skewered through it, eyes staring blearily through her glasses, pink plaid pajamas under his blue jumper. She looked…perfect.

A knock sounded at the door and Ellie came to open it, staring down in surprise at the small, dark woman who was absently tucking her frizzy grey hair back into her headscarf. "I'm looking for the werewolf, Remus Lupin," she announced cocking her head suddenly and looking Ellie up and down. "But you are not the right one…"

"Remus is here," said Ellie, frowning in confusion. "Please, come in."

The older woman entered the small house, smiling broadly at the baby crawling towards her. Remus was standing stiffly to his feet as Artemis came out from the kitchen cradling a cup of tea and the woman clapped her hands together. "Ah! Yes, there she is! You know, the Creator tells me many things," she said, her words tripping lightly over her unfamiliar accent. "But I do not often see the fulfillment of what I hear or see. I am pleased to see you."

"I'm sorry?" said Artemis. "Have we met before?"

"No, but I have seen you in another's eyes. You, who are raven-haired and strange of speech released the captive wolves and restored the bonds once thought lost," the woman said.

"You're the Seer," Artemis breathed.

The woman smiled and nodded. "My Nicolae told Sirius Black he could call on us for help if he had need of it. So when we heard him on the radio we came to help fight the darkness. My other son, Isak, is a werewolf, like your Remus. They are still up at the castle. It is good for him to see your clan, to see that things can be different for him."

Artemis smiled and then frowned a little. "You know your prophecy kind of terrified Remus. It took forever before he admitted that he was interested in me."

Remus made a half-hearted protest as the woman laughed. "But a hard won battle is all the sweeter, isn't it? And I was right. It did not matter that you did not believe me," she tutted, waggling her finger at Remus. "Now come, let me see this precious baby of yours."

~ THE END ~

Author's Note * Two chapter update! That battle just got too huge to cram into one chapter. Epilogue of fluffiness to follow! Thank you so much for reading! Props for making it to the end! I certainly never imagined it would turn out to be such a huge story when I started. I am immensely grateful for every reader, and everyone who followed, favorited or left a review. If I could hug each one of you I would!


	92. Epilogue

**This is ridiculously long for an epilogue, but it's really eight epilogues.

And just in case it was confusing, I posted two chapters at once last week, so if you maybe missed it, you can catch up on Chapter 90 & 91, which is the full Battle at Hogwarts. Thanks so much for reading! It's been quite an adventure!

* * *

 **Severus Snape ~ 1998**

Two pairs of legs strode down the corridor. Remus Lupin was considerably more casual in his step, hands shoved in his pockets, as he ambled along beside the Headmaster. Severus Snape walked determinedly, perhaps the slightest bit nervous and excited about the start of this new term, although he would neither show nor admit that. It was still mind boggling to him that the Ministry and the Board of Governors had allowed him to not only stay on staff, but remain in the position of Headmaster. Kingsley Shacklebolt, the newly elected Minister, had let it slip that several parents, students, and staff members had spoken up on his behalf and requested he be given a trial year to run Hogwarts properly now that the war was over, and Severus was determined to do his level best.

"Your crate of books arrived just this morning," he said to Remus. "I took the liberty of looking through a copy. Very well done."

"Thank you. It was a bit of a scramble getting all of the rewrites finished on time, but the publisher was very accommodating."

"I think the upper years will find them instructive. I too feel the more knowledge they have about the history and philosophy of the Dark Arts the better prepared they will be to counter them."

Remus glanced at the man beside him with a shade of skepticism. "Those are not words I would have expected to hear from you. There's a difference between opposing Voldemort and opposing the Dark Arts as a whole."

"I do not believe it is as simple as merely opposing them. Like a chess match, one has to study and understand their opponent to be able to defeat them quickly and effectively. I can still appreciate the skill of my opponent."

"Hmmmm. I suppose that is one way to look at it."

"I assume you will not have trouble fulfilling your teaching duties here while living in Hogsmeade?"

"Not that I anticipate. By the way, I plan on having Artemis and Lina come as guest speakers to the Sixth and Seventh Years to discuss career options. They'll present working for the government as an Auror versus a less traditional route."

It was Severus' turn to look skeptical. "Just be sure they don't say anything that causes the Ministry or MCUSA to start sending me owls about being undermined."

Remus chuckled. "I've told them both they have to be diplomatic about it and set their negative personal experiences aside."

Stopping outside the door to the Potion Master's office, Snape knocked brusquely twice. "Our new Potions instructor arrived today. I've only communicated with her by owl, so I thought I would introduce myself before the staff meeting."

"Leaving it a bit late isn't she? The students arrive this evening."

"Convincing Ilvermorny to release her from her contract there was a bit of a nightmare. Professor Price is quite well known for her work with the various properties of aconite. I believe she was even working on a more effective adaptation of the Wolfsbane potion."

The door to the office swung open to reveal a head of messy brown hair and a pair of blue jeans, the rest of the witch being obscured by the pile of books and papers in her arms. "Yes, what is it? I'm a little busy right at the moment," came a muffled voice.

"Professor Price, I am the Headmaster. I wanted to introduce myself in person," Snape began in his customary silky voice, as Remus was already reaching to help take some of the pile.

"Oh!" the witch exclaimed, turning abruptly and dropping the pile in a nearby chair. She turned back around, a huge smile lighting her face. "It is just such an honor to meet you!" she said, holding out her hand. "I've read all your papers. Well, I had to have the ones in Spanish and French translated, so I hope they're accurate, but definitely the ones in English and German. Your paper on using poisoned dragon's liver as a substitute for asphodel root is going to revolutionize the potion industry one day. I think what you're seeing are changes at a molecular level. My brother was even impressed. He's a chemist, that's sort of a No-Maj potioneer, and works for a pharmaceutical company. My mother finds that hysterical, because pharmacy comes from the Greek word for witchcraft. She has a very weird sense of humor."

"Yes…well…your CV was most impressive. The Headmistress at Ilvermorny said she had yet to meet a more exceptional Potions instructor," he added, his brow furrowed as though that statement coupled with the personality before him was profoundly confusing.

"We're just headed to the staff meeting," Remus added, reaching to shake the hand that was still being held out, as Severus seemed incapable of doing so at the moment. "Remus Lupin. I teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. Would you like to follow us up to the staff room? You can't have had enough time to really get the layout of the castle yet."

"Wonderful! Thank you!" Professor Price beamed. "I'll just grab my notebook…"

There was a shuffle and thud as papers and books were shifted to find what she was looking for. Finally, notebook in hand and quill behind her ear, she stepped with them out of the office. The new professor kept up a steady commentary as they made their way to the staff room, and Remus almost laughed at Snape's glazed-over expression.

The rest of the teachers were already assembled, and Professor McGonagall stood to her feet as they came in the door. "Severus, I have read your memoranda and I just…well I am just astounded. You can't possibly be serious about this!"

Thankful for a break from the new teacher's flood of conversation, which had revolved uncomfortably around her opinions of his own work, Snape cleared his throat and seated himself regally at the head of the room. "I assure you, Minerva, I am quite prepared to do whatever is necessary. If the events of the previous few years have shown anything, it's that we must take steps to promote unity instead of division. The Board of Governors agreed that in light of the recent war some changes were necessary to ensure that Hogwarts did not become a breeding ground for prejudicial behaviors."

"Yes, I agree with you, Severus, of course I do. And I am fully supportive of the idea to allocate House points based on projects the Houses do together, but…why do we have to change Quidditch?!"

Imogene Hooch sighed dramatically. "Oh for pity's sake, Minerva, they still get to play Quidditch! We'll just have open tryouts for four completely new teams rather than having one team per House. It will also be a great opportunity to create practice teams for the younger students that want to learn the sport."

Professor McGonagall opened and closed her mouth a few times like a goldfish, before finally saying, "Well, I'm sure you will all forgive me if I happen to choose to support the team with the most Gryffindor players."

"You are free to support whomever you like," shrugged Madame Hooch. "But I will do my level best to make sure there is equal representation from all Houses."

"Now," announced Professor Snape, "are there any other items we need to discuss before the students arrive this evening? Hawthorne are you settling in?"

"I believe so," the older man replied, pulling thoughtfully on his beard. "Professor Binns notes were quite extensive, but he doesn't seem to have done more than lecture…"

"Apart from exams that's all he'd done for the last couple hundred years," remarked Pomona Sprout dryly.

"And I, personally, am quite intrigued by the idea of inter-House cooperation. I plan on having some of the lower grades reenact the Battle of Hastings. And I think for the uppers years we might put together a play. Open auditions like Quidditch. Something from Shakespeare, perhaps?"

"I think that's an excellent suggestion!" piped up Professor Flitwick. "My choir could provide entertainment during the intermission."

"The last few years I've done a potions competition for the upper grades," offered the new professor. "Divide them up into teams and let them experiment with known potions or come up with something completely new. No-Maj schools have them. They call them science fairs."

"This is Professor Price, our new Potions Instructor," Snape added.

"Eglantine Price," the witch announced. "Terrible name, I know. People usually call me Eggy, which isn't really better, but there you go."

"A fellow American!" Hawthorne said cheerfully, rising to his feet and offering his hand. "Hawthorne Endress. I'm also new this year. History of Magic. What brought you to this side of the pond?"

"Oh, the opportunity to work under Headmaster Snape!" she answered excitedly, and every head in the room turned as one to the man in question.

"Yes…well…I…" Snape was beyond irritated at how he suddenly became unable to string together a simple sentence.

"I gather he's been rather modest about his achievements," Professor Price said, tilting her head and watching him questioningly. "But he and I are two of only six people worldwide that have consulted with BASF's potion division. It's quite a mark of respect. And his early paper on how the sloth brain contributes to both Draught of Living Death and it's antidote, Wiggenweld, is some of the most quoted research in the business."

"You've been hiding your light under a bushel, Severus," remarked Professor Sinestra with a teasing smile.

Snape cleared his throat. "If we are all in agreement regarding the new Quidditch policy and there is no new business to discuss before the students arrive this evening I think we can consider this meeting adjourned," he said hurriedly.

The staff rose from their seats, some in confusion, but most in amusement at the abrupt close of the meeting, and began to file out of the room. "Headmaster," began Professor Price, "I did have some questions. My contract indicated I would also be undertaking the role as the new Head of Slytherin House. I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page regarding what those duties entail and what your expectations were."

Severus fought down the urge to pull at his collar which all of a sudden seemed a bit tight, and took a step back from the woman who stood looking up at him entreatingly. "I…I am afraid I am much to busy today for that," he said. "Professor McGonagall is the Head of Gryffindor House. I think perhaps she might have a little more time to go over those details with you."

"I will track her down then!" she replied brightly. "And thank you again for offering me the position here. Perhaps after the school year has begun and things quiet down a little we could get together and discuss the papers I had translated? Or you could fill me in on your own little tricks to engage the more struggling students?

"I…We shall see," Severus replied watching the new teacher leave and run after Professor McGonagall, firing questions as fast as her feet moved. He sank slowly back into a chair, his face a picture of disbelief. "That…woman…has won awards for her work…I've heard her present at conferences. Ilvermorny was incensed about her leaving…And yet she…she…"

"She's a live wire. And she certainly seems to be a fan of yours," said Remus, trying to hide a smile as he watched Snape's face.

If anything, Severus' face grew more confused. "Why would she ask me to critique a translation that she mostly likely had done by a reputable company? Why would she want to know tricks to use in the classroom if she's been teaching for ten years?"

Remus had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud. "I'm hardly an expert, but I think she was suggesting she was simply open to the possibility of getting to know you better."

Severus turned to Remus, his face a shade paler and his eyes widening slightly. "Pardon?!"

* * *

 **Joshua & Daisy Rodriguez ~ 1999**

Joshua didn't make it ten feet from the door of the post office before he ripped into the package Gareth had sent from Lima. It had been a long and tedious process getting things just right. Gareth, naturally had mentioned more than once that he was overthinking things and expecting the impossible, but what did he know? Gareth had never wanted to ask a girl to marry him. He'd never needed to show a girl that she was as perfect as this ring was supposed to be. What good was being an heir to a silver empire if you couldn't have a piece of jewelry exactly the way you wanted it?

Besides, Daisy needed something happy to look forward to. She kept busy helping Ellie teach the children and writing up philanthropic ideas for Rodriguez Silver to invest in, but she'd been feeling a little lost lately with everyone going in different directions — Gareth in Peru, Remus and Hawthorne both taking jobs at Hogwarts and moving into Hogsmeade, Isabel and Nick headed off to tour with the Weird Sisters, Catherine and Deirdre busy working on their nursing and social work degrees. Joshua had even been gone most of the last year himself, working as an apprentice with a huge wizard farming conglomerate in Lincolnshire. This year he'd set up a deal with Matthew Roberts to spend the year learning non-magic farming practices. He and Daisy could get married and live in the little house they'd set up for Ellie. But he had to propose first, and that required a ring.

With slightly shaking fingers, he pulled away the last of the wrapping and opened the hinged lid. Nestled in the black velvet was a silver band that he quickly pulled out and held close to his face, hoping this time they'd gotten the carvings right. Two wolves etched into the band on either side of the single diamond, a ring of daisies twined around the rest of the band connecting the wolves. Yes. Finally. Exactly what he'd envisioned.

Joshua let out a relieved breath, placed the ring back into the box, and closed it with a snap. Now he could get to work on planning the perfect proposal.

* * *

 **Sirius & Lina Laurent ~ 2000**

"Do you think I could keep this one?" Sirius asked, reaching for a large frame. "That looks like a Picasso."

"Don't touch it!" yelped Bill Weasley. "I haven't gotten to that one yet. This whole pile of stuff is crawling with curses."

A hex flashed from the wand, and Lina ducked, growling under her breath as she threw her own curses. "Sirius, forgive me if I'm wrong, but I thought you came to help!" she finally yelled, leaping away from another spell and finally bringing a stack of crates down on her opponent. "You're not here to be an art critic! Take too much longer and we'll be late to Harry's Quidditch match!"

"Fine, fine," Sirius huffed, joining Fleur in dueling a pair of men who'd run at them from the depths of the warehouse. "I just think the Ministry could let us choose something from all the loot we've turned in hunting down Voldemort's former associates."

"We've turned in?" asked Lina archly, firing a spell that finished the men off. She levitated the bodies together and tied them up, ready for transport back to the Ministry. "You're so busy painting and setting up art shows you've only come with me on two jobs. Bill and Fleur and I have been the ones tracking down the former Death Eaters and bringing in the loot."

"Yeah, about that," interrupted Bill, looking up from a golden chalice. "Fleur and I need to discuss changing our roles if that's possible."

"What's the problem, Weasley?" teased Lina, "Not enough excitement for you?"

"Zee jobs are exciting, but a leetle too dangerous at the moment," answered Fleur. "I am, how do you say it? Attending a baby."

"Expecting," corrected Bill with a huge smile on his face.

"What?! That's wonderful! Congratulations!" exclaimed Sirius.

"Yeah, so we thought maybe Fleur could work in London more, setting up the itineraries and coordinating things, and I can still come in and deal with the curse breaking after any Death Eaters have been handled. Less fighting, more set up and clean up, if you think that would work."

"I'm willing to give it a try," nodded Lina. "I've got plenty of people I can outsource some of the field work to."

"Brilliant!" said Bill, looking relieved. "This has been a great set up for us. We weren't really looking forward to having to go back to Gringotts."

"Thank you very much, Lina," nodded Fleur. "Now I will take zees men to zee Ministry and see you at home," she added, throwing Bill a kiss.

"So I think that's finished it," Bill announced, added the last item to a crate. "These are ready for transport."

"Thanks, Bill. You go on home. I'll see you both on Monday and we'll sort out where we go from here."

The red head disapparated with a pop and Lina turned to Sirius. "What do you want to grab for dinner before the match? Curry? Or we haven't gotten Thai in a while."

"Mexican," he replied promptly. "I've been dreaming of cilantro. Say that's great news about Bill and Fleur, don't you think? I love babies!"

Lina felt suddenly cold. They'd been married two years and this was the first time the subject had come up. She'd foolishly hoped to avoid it all together. That was cowardly of her, but she had less than no desire to have children, and didn't want to be pushed into something for fear of disappointing Sirius.

"Are you hoping I'll pop out some half-blood Blacks to shake up the family tree?" she asked, hoping her voice wasn't quite as biting as it sounded in her head.

Sirius set down the painting he'd picked up and stepped close to her, cupping her face in his hands. "Do you want to have children?" he asked bluntly, searching her eyes.

Lina shook her head.

Sirius smiled, smoothing a piece of her hair back. "That's a relief. If you'd said yes I'd think I didn't know you at all. I picked the mercenary, not the housewife, remember? And Merlin knows the Black name needs to just fade out of the national conscious completely."

"But what do you want?" she whispered.

"I want to be the best Uncle Padfoot I can be to whomever chooses to address me as such. I want to splash gallons of paint around and hope my work makes people happy. And I want to help you be the best damn mercenary the world's ever seen. And when you're too hold and decrepit to fight anymore, we'll hire you out to plan other people's jobs."

Lina laughed, thankful it kept the tears at bay. "Well, Mr. Laurent, if you're serious, I think that sounds like an absolutely smashing plan."

He leaned in and kissed her tenderly. "Mrs. Laurent, when are you finally going to learn? I'm always Sirius."

* * *

 **Xavier & Catherine Bryant ~ 2001**

Catherine winced as the pickup truck rumbled over another pothole, and Xavier's hand reached out for her, reassuringly splayed over her rounded belly. "Sorry."

"It's fine, this little guy's just trying to stretch his legs, and my ribs are unfortunately in the way." She shifted in the seat and looked back out the window at the beautiful scenery rolling by. "We did it," she remarked softly and turned to smile at her husband. "We drove the Blue Ridge Parkway and now I get to see where you grew up."

Xavier nodded, his own emotions a little more complicated.

"You okay?" she asked, taking his hand in hers and interlacing their fingers.

"I think so," he said honestly, "just a little…not nervous exactly, just…something."

"I'd be surprised if you weren't."

"The counselor said to leave some space for regret, because regrets aren't always the by product of a wrong choice. That our lives get messy and aren't tied up in pretty happily-ever-after ribbons."

"Wise man," sighed Catherine. "You know, I stole your journaling idea," she added, releasing his hand and rummaging around in her purse.

"You did?"

"Yeah." She pulled out a licorice wand and broke off the tip, popping it in her mouth. Xavier shuddered internally. Crazy pregnancy cravings. He wished it were anything but licorice. Sometimes it felt like he'd picked up the morning sickness where Catherine left off smelling those horrid things.

"I started writing my own letters to people. The first one was to my birth parents. I told them straight up that they choices they made were horrible, but I was choosing to forgive them. Jane told me a story her grandmother used to tell her, about a boy whose brothers tried to kill him. But in the end the boy grew up to be well respected and in a position of power in another country. He said that the Creator had used his brothers' plan for evil to accomplish something good and worthwhile in his life. I think that's what happened with us."

Xavier took his eyes off the road to glance at his wife, chewing away on that awful candy as she stared peacefully at the view, and felt a deep seated contentment wash over him. What an incredible woman she was. She was the one who had suggested he see a No-Maj counselor, and the man had turned out to be immensely helpful, despite the fact that Xavier'd had to figure out how to describe the more recent battles in a way that left out all mention of magic or werewolves.

"I'm really glad that you can look back on everything with that perspective," he said softly. "It was beyond tragic what happened to y'all."

Catherine nodded. "To all of us. But I try not to dwell on that. I write happy letters too. I wrote to Mamá and Papá and told them about the wedding and the baby and our trip to France. I wrote to Xander too. It helps me process things."

"I'm glad. It's helped me too." Xavier lapsed into silence, and Catherine returned to studying the scenery. The small town appeared suddenly around a curve in the road, and Xavier took in a long breath, evaluating how he wanted to do this. He finally decided on circling the small downtown area of Broadway and Cherry Street, getting a feel for how things had changed, before heading for Pine Street, where Mary Ann lived.

Sitting in her quiet living room with a tall, icy glass of very sweet tea, Xavier finally felt himself relax a little. Mary Ann was friendly and sweet, just like he remembered her, if a shade more reserved. That Xavier found perfectly understandable, given this was the first time they'd seen each other in twenty years and their only communication so far had been a letter from him explaining that Xander had died and wanted to convey his remorse about how he handled things with her and their son.

"I'm sorry it took me a while to reply to your letter," Mary Ann said in a gentle drawling voice, her accent heavier than his after he'd spent so many years away. "I wasn't sure I wanted to…to deal with all that. Brendan knows Greg isn't his father, of course, but he was his daddy. Raised him, took care of us. He's a good man. Made chief of police last year."

Xavier nodded. He hadn't been sure he wanted to deal with it all either, but Isabel had finally convinced him to at least write to Mary Ann and let her decide what to tell Xander's son.

"But I figured Brendan's a grown man now, and he had a right to know. Let him maybe grieve his own way. You say you two have been in England this whole time? What took you over there?"

Catherine was looking at all the family photos, framed and scattered across the room, trying to give them a little privacy. Out of the corner of his eye, Xavier saw her pause and pick up a frame, holding it close to her face to study it. She stood there much longer than she'd spent on any of the other pictures, and Xavier finally turned his head to see more clearly what she was doing.

"My wife's family," Xavier finally answered, trying to refocus on the conversation. "Catherine's brother owns a farm over there now. So I help him work that. Catherine's a nurse."

"And you're expecting your first baby? Do you know whether it's a boy or a girl yet?"

"A boy," Xavier couldn't help the small grin that crossed his face.

"Mrs. Davis," Catherine interrupted, "this photo of your son. He looks like he's wearing a team uniform of some kind. What sport did he play?"

Mary Ann hesitated just a split second too long. "It's a funny kind of sport. I'm not sure I remember the name. Brendan went to a private boarding school up north, and they do things like that."

"He did?" Xavier asked in genuine surprise. People from Black Mountain didn't tend to go to boarding schools, and he was certain a police officer's salary wouldn't run to that kind of expense. Catherine handed the photo to Xavier. In it a boy of about fifteen, looking remarkably like Xander, with his same mischievous smile, wore a red and gray sweater holding a wooden bat in one hand and broom in the other—

"Quadpot," he said softly, shaking his head in amazement. "He's a wizard."

* * *

 **Hawthorne & Jane Endress ~ 2002**

The letters on the door of the small shop rearranged themselves to spell _Open_ , and Jane turned her attention back to the griddle, the scent of coffee and cinnamon rolls already filling the space. Within just a few minutes, several people were seating themselves at the little tables and holding up cups for the waitresses to fill. It had been an exciting and nerve wracking venture, buying the little tearoom and turning it into an American style diner after Madame Pudifoot decided to close up shop and spend her twilight years in a more tropical climate than Hogsmeade offered. They remodeled and redecorated, and wondered whether the people of the small wizarding village and the local student population would give them a chance. But they needn't have worried. By the end of the first week of them opening, midway through the school year, they were doing a roaring trade.

Flipping over a row of pancakes with a flick of her wand, Jane startled slightly when Hawthorne crept up behind her to kiss her neck. "Good morning to you too," she smiled. "Are you having breakfast before you head up to the school, or are you eating there?"

"Here please. Between you and me, I just can't quite get my stomach to agree with this English idea of breakfast including baked beans."

"No one's making you eat them," she laughed.

"I know, but I still have to look at them."

"Poor thing, you're just a creature of habit. You used to think some of my food was odd too."

"I still do," he smiled at her, pulling her in for another kiss. "I just decided to put up with it because the benefits were too good to pass up."

"Oh, go on," she laughed, swatting him playfully. "I have four orders to finish up."

Hawthorne headed up to the school a short while later and the morning passed in a pleasant blur of cooking and people. By ten o'clock, Jane was able to sit down with her own cup of coffee and start going through shopping lists for the month ahead. The bell announcing a new customer jangled cheerfully, but Jane ignored it, leaving a waitress to handle the order. This time of day people usually just stopped in for tea or coffee and maybe a pastry. But after a moment, the girl peeked her head into the office. "Jane? There's a young man here asking for you."

Pushing back her chair, Jane hurried out front. Maybe Gareth or Joshua was back with news from the reservation. The kids had all planned to visit and see how the others were doing after financial backing from Rodriguez Silver and some of Lina's more shady tactics had succeeded in convincing MCUSA to convert the Northeast Reservation into more of a commune style halfway house for werewolves wanting a fresh start. (If by some strange happenstance MCUSA didn't have any records of there ever being a Northeast Reservation, that was never discussed.)

Jane halted her steps at the sight of the young man. Not either of the ones she'd been expecting. And not a student from the school with an order or a message from Hawthorne either. He appeared to be in his early twenties, and his mop of black curls could have done with a haircut, but she didn't recognize him "Can I help you?" she asked, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

"Are you…did you used to be Jane Greenbaum?" he asked hesitantly.

Her eyes widened at his clear Bronx accent. "Ye-es," she answered slowly. "My first husband's name was Greenbaum."

"You, uh, you probably don't recognize me," he continued, and began nervously twisting a piece of hair.

Jane felt her heart stop, her memory replaying over and over a small, dark haired boy twisting that same lock of hair to help himself fall asleep at night. She couldn't bring herself to speak, willing him to say the words she'd hoped and prayed she'd get to hear again one day.

"But…um…I'm Joel," he finally said, watching her closely. "I'm your…your son."

* * *

 **Gareth Rodriguez ~ 2004**

The pen tapped idly on the edge of his desk as Gareth glanced once more at his wristwatch. He was caught up on all the paperwork Maria, the company's CFO, kept throwing at him, and had bowed out of the dinner party he'd been invited to that evening. He could go home to his apartment, but there wasn't really anything waiting there for him to do either. The housekeeper would have already packed his bags for the trip to England tomorrow.

" _Jefe_? Why are you still here? I thought you were taking the afternoon off."

Gareth spun in his chair. "Hey Maria. I was just making sure everything was in order before I leave in the morning."

The older woman shot him a skeptical look, but didn't press the issue. "Have you called to tell them that you're coming to see the kids off to school?"

He shook his head. "I was debating whether or not to surprise them. Cadmus is nervous. First werewolf to attend Hogwarts since Remus was there. Gemma's more excited than nervous, but going from homeschool to taking her A Levels at a co-ed boarding school is a big step. Hawthorne says the Headmistress' brother is a wizard he worked with back in Colorado, so she's at least understanding of the…unique situation."

"You should call them. Give the little one something else to focus on besides his nerves."

"That's probably a good idea. Don't you have a meeting now?"

" _Sí_. But since you're still here I wanted to talk with you about something."

Gareth's brow furrowed. "What's wrong?"

Maria Lopez was a pint-sized, pleasantly plump grandmother, and another of Oscar's numerous cousins. It was solely due to Maria and her brother, Fernán, that Rodriguez Silver had survived while Oscar was attempting to run things from the reservation and Luis was plotting his takeover. She had noticed assets being siphoned away to support Voldemort's campaign, and immediately began her own counter measures, hiding money and finagling the books, intentionally delaying orders and supply shipments. Many had made the mistake of underestimating her financial acumen and tenacious loyalty, but Gareth was not one of them.

She perched on the end of the chair facing his desk, smoothing back a strand of gray hair that had escaped the tight bun at the back of her head. " _Jefe_ , I think while you're in England you should consider working out of the London office."

"Maria, I'm only going to be there a week."

"Permanently."

Gareth didn't even try to hide the shock on his face. "What? Why? That doesn't make sense. The headquarters for the company has always been in Lima."

"And yet your father managed to successfully run it from the middle of nowhere, New York. With magic, it is not that difficult. And your research and development into spells that safely insulate processing chips and other computer hardware mean that shortly we will be able to take advantage of the computer and mobile phone technology that the _No-Mágicos_ have invented. So communication will be even easier."

Frowning, Gareth looked away. "Maria, am I lousing things up?" he asked softly. "If I'm not good at this, just tell me. I don't want to risk the company, and I sure don't want to waste anybody's time if they're having to…to clean up mistakes I make."

" _Ay, cielo santo_ ," she muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. I would be the first one to tell you if you were making decisions that negatively impact this company. Your ideas are good, not just the R & D labs, but the work study programs you have put together for the werewolf halfway houses as well. But you are not happy here. It's been almost six years, and you don't have that many friends, and I never hear of you going on a date with a girl more than two times. Your family is in England. Your friends are in England. You should be there too."

Slouching back in his chair, Gareth tried to process what she was saying. Was he unhappy? He didn't think unhappy was quite the right word. Lima wasn't bad, but the shine had worn off the new and exciting experiences. And most people he met didn't really want to get to know him, just what he represented. "I will think about it Maria. Thank you for being honest with me."

The older woman stood and leaned over the desk to pat him on the cheek. "You're a good boy, _Jefe_. But you don't need to be tied here if your heart would rather be somewhere else."

Gareth smiled. "I've been telling you for six years you don't need to call me Boss."

Maria laughed as she moved towards the door. "I'll keep calling you that until it sinks deep into your soul and you start believing it. Now call home," she admonished, waving toward the old fashioned rotary phone on the desk.

Gareth picked up the handset and began the process of dialing the international number. They were slowly making progress with integrating No-Maj tech. The R & D Labs had gotten a handle on older electronics pretty quickly, but the newer stuff was taking longer. The tone began to sound in his ear and he waited. One. Two. Three.

"Hello?" came a breathless voice at the other end of the line.

"Hey, Gemma? Is that you? It's Gareth."

"Hiya! Oh, please say you're calling to tell me something nice. Today was a nightmare getting fitted for uniforms."

Gareth chuckled and leaned back in the chair, loosening his tie. "I hope you'll think it's nice. I've got a spot booked at the International Apparation site to come home for a few days. I thought I'd see you and Cadmus off to school."

He had to hold the handset away to protect his ear from the piercing shriek that followed his words, returning it when he heard her begin speaking. "Oh Gareth, that's brilliant! Everyone's going to be so excited! Are you going to stay with us? I'll let Mum and Dad know either way. I'm sure that will make Cadmus feel better about going. Hawthorne volunteered to ride on the train with him, but then he was worried about being called a teacher's pet. Hey did I tell you I was able to skip the Introduction to the Western Civilization class and start off with Greco-Roman Studies? The teachers were well impressed with my paper on King Arthur and the Roman Hypothesis. We'll have to plan a big dinner and get together with everyone. I don't think we can do it tomorrow, because Isabel has a show, and Deirdre said she was going with Fred to see it and then meet up with Isabel and George afterwards. But the next day we could I think."

Her flood of conversation paused, and Gareth tried to catch up with everything she said. "Right, not tomorrow because Deirdre's going out with Fred, " he repeated. He opened his mouth to ask how Ellie and Kieran were doing, but Gemma had latched on to his phrase and the sixteen year old was off again with another torrent of words.

"Well, they aren't really going out. At least I don't think they are. You know, she hasn't dated anyone since Nick. You remember him, right? Isabel's friend that joined her band, the one that had green hair for a while. Anyway, I'm not sure why they broke up, Deirdre didn't really talk about it. But she sure hasn't mentioned this thing with Fred being like a real date. I mean, she hasn't said she fancies him or anything. I can ask her if you want, she's here. She stopped by after work to have dinner with us. Hang on."

"No, wait, Gemma. That wasn't what I meant. You don't have to ask her…Gemma?"

Gareth could hear the girl set the phone down and shout something. There was silence, and he sighed, waiting for her to return. The moment's pause gave him time to think about his assumed question. Deirdre couldn't possibly be dating Fred Weasley. Not that he had anything against the guy. George had turned out to be a great match for Isabel, but then Isabel was Isabel. She needed someone who could keep up with her. And Nick was a decent guy too, though Gareth had to admit he didn't think much of the hair color and piercings. It was just that he thought Deirdre needed someone…steadier. _Someone more like me,_ Gareth thought, and his heart stuttered uncomfortably, urging him to derail that particular train of thought. But the train didn't stop. Onward it hurtled, bringing up every memory he had of her. The first time he heard her laugh, walking in the moonlight at Bill's wedding, how she turned up at his birthday party looking like a Golden Age Hollywood starlet and acting so shy, how her eyes flashed when she was upset with him and her face got splotchy when she cried, how she dragged herself out of the pile of rubble at the castle and was more worried about protecting him than herself, how the sunlight had glinted off her hair when she turned away and said she wouldn't come with him to Peru.

He'd tried dating other girls here. But they all had expectations. They were looking for a whirlwind life of balls and embassy dinners and being covered in the latest Rodriguez jewelry designs. Not one of them understood why he found it restful going to Maria's house where there were sure to be lots of family and activity happening at any time of day, or why he liked to sit on the beach and play _La Vincuñita_ on his guitar, or why there was a splintered and painted prototype of a Weasley Four-In-One-Brass-O-Matic Organ in his dining room with an old fedora hanging on one of the pipes. And not once had he felt comfortable telling any of them that he was a werewolf.

"Gareth, are you still there? Deirdre refused to answer, but as I was walking away I heard her mutter that you should just come home and ask her yourself if it bothers you. Are you going to? Please say yes. I figured you wouldn't have asked if you weren't worried about her dating other people. And you have to know how she lights up whenever you're here, the same way you get all tense and silly when you're around her."

It took him a minute to get his mouth to cooperate. "Listen Gem, I have to go, and uh…pack. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"All right. I'll tell Mum and Dad you called. Love you, G. See you tomorrow!"

He slowly replaced the receiver and sat there staring at the phone. After a minute he picked up the handset again and began to dial. Surely it wasn't too late to get a ticket to Isabel's show for tomorrow night.

* * *

 **Isabel Rodriguez ~ 2006**

" ** _You're listening to the Wizarding Wireless Network. I'm your host Glenda Chittock, and joining me this evening for Witching Hour will be the founding member and lead singer of the Howling Commandos, Isabel Rodriguez. This band swept the wizarding world over the last eight years, after starting out as an opening act for the internationally acclaimed Weird Sisters, and tonight we will get a peek into the world of a touring rock band and maybe find out what the future has in store for these young musicians. Isabel, thank you so much for joining us."_**

"Thank you for having me!"

 ** _"_** ** _Now, I understand that after almost eight years you are planning to stop touring. Can you tell us what precipitated that decision?"_**

"Life moves on, you know? Don't get me wrong, I love touring and maybe someday I'll be able to try it again, but for now I want to focus on other things. So on our tour breaks I've invested a lot of time into working as a studio musician for lots of different No-Maj recording artists. I mean, I'm not a song writer, so I won't be sitting at home penning the next top forty hit. I just want to play music, and I feel that this option allows me to work in all different genres, which I love, and gives me a lot more flexibility with my family life. [laughter] In the No-Maj world I'm not famous at all!"

 ** _"_** ** _You say you've made a bit of a name for yourself among Muggle musicians, but you've also made a name for yourself in the wizarding music industry by including more Squib musicians than any band has before. Would you say you're trying to make something of a statement in that regard?"_**

"The only statement I'm trying to make is that I appreciate good musicians. I was privileged to grow up where magical and non magical people lived and worked together to try to live the best life they possibly could. And let me tell you, auditioning magical musicians is really hard. There are so many who are decent, but accustomed to using magic to help them play or sound better. Then you have a non-magical musician come and they're able to play just as well. And as a band leader I want to work with the people that I know are going to bring their best and work their hardest, and several times that wound up being someone with no magical ability at all, just determination and a love of music."

 ** _"_** ** _If you can, tell us a little of how you partnered with Weird Sisters. I'm sure all our listeners know that your family was part of the resistance during the war, many people, myself included, were avid listeners of your radio broadcasts during the war."_**

"Right. So, it's kind of a funny story. We were at Hogwarts when Voldemort attacked, and I was knocked out. So I actually missed the end of the battle. And when I woke up, I look over and see this guy sitting there getting bandaged up. It was the bass player from the Weird Sisters, Alex Russo. And the first words out of my mouth were, 'Hey! I know your cousin. We should totally jam together sometime.' [laughter] I mean, the guy had never seen me before in his life! But he was really nice, and actually said that his mom had mentioned this American girl who needed to learn to focus her energy appropriately. [laughter] A statement my eldest brother would absolutely agree with. Anyway…we wound up talking and then he asked me to come meet the rest of his band. I'm sure he was just feeling sorry for a poor overly enthusiastic wannabe rockstar, but I jumped at the chance! And Alex's cousin, Nick, has been my lead guitarist since we got started."

 ** _"_** ** _So lets go back to your comment about having more flexibility with your family life. Naturally that leads me to a question many fans have been wondering about. Are the rumors true that you really quit touring because you're planning to start a family?"_**

"Let's say I'm open to the possibility."

 ** _"_** ** _And being married to one half of what could be considered the most famous set of twins in the country, are you hoping for a set of twins yourself?"_**

"I will tell you exactly what I told George. We'll just wait and see what happens."

* * *

 **Remus & Artemis Lupin ~ 2008**

"Esperanza Lupin! Are you ready to go yet?

The eleven-year-old girl clattered down the staircase of an old stone cottage on the outskirts of Hogsmeade, swinging a cage behind her wildly. The small Eastern Screech Owl inside quite frankly looked terrified. "I can't move my trunk, Mum! It's too heavy. You'll have to levitate it down."

Artemis smiled and climbed the stairs to fetch the trunk. "Watch the cage, Ana. That owl looks scared to death."

"Oh, he always looks like that," the girl muttered. "Sorry, Archimedes," she whispered to the cage. The owl ruffled his feathers and tried to look dignified.

Artemis returned, the trunk floating sedately behind her. "Ok, it's time. Can you go get your dad?"

Ana ducked into the drawing room. Remus looked up from the chair where he was reading a storybook to a pair of boys sprawled across the floor, and smiled at the petite brunette with his soft blue eyes. She flung herself into his arms and he kissed the top of her head. "Today's your big day. Are you ready?"

Ana nodded. "I think so. I'm a little nervous about the sorting. I mean, you and Padfoot were both Gryffindors and Mum was a Wampus, and they're both, you know, known for being brave and stuff, so I think I should be there. Cadmus is there too, but Finn says he's not always very brave."

"I'm brave!" piped up the smaller of the two boys. "I'm brave enough to fight dragons!"

"You're not either, Conor!" admonished the older brother. "You still sleep with a night light!"

"That's enough, Leo," Remus admonished. "Now of course I had a wonderful experience being in Gryffindor," he said to Ana, "But what about your Uncle Rolf and Aunt Luna?"

"Oh, well Uncle Rolf went to Ilvermorney like Mum, but he was a Pukwudgie. Aunt Luna was a Ravenclaw…she's funny. She sent me a package saying inside were snallygaster feathers, but it just looked like magpie feathers and some silver glitter to me."

Remus hid a smile. "And your Aunt Lina?"

"Well…" she said, hopping from one foot to the other.

"Aunt Lina was a Slytherin!" interrupted Conor.

"Yeah, and she gets that grumpy look on her face when Padfoot teases her about snakes," added Leo.

"But she's tough," argued Ana, "and she's fun…and Mister Sev was in Slytherin too, so that might be all right."

Remus chuckled. "Just remember to address him as Headmaster. I don't think he'll take too kindly to the rest of the students knowing you call him Mister Sev. And don't forget, Finn is starting his third year in Hufflepuff."

"Yeah, it'd be cool to be with him."

"I don't think you need to worry. Each house turns out excellent witches and wizards. And your house doesn't have to define the rest of your life. What did your mum say about school?"

"Work hard. Have fun. Don't get kicked out."

"Then that's all you need to do. You're going to have a wonderful time."

"I know." Ana squared her shoulders and shook back her dark hair. "Well, if you were brave enough to fight dark wizards. I guess I can be brave enough to be sorted anywhere."

Remus pushed himself up from his chair and took Ana's hand, "Come on, boys. Grab your jumpers so we can see Ana off on the train."

"Why does she have to take the train?" piped Conor in his little voice. "We always walk up to the school."

"Tradition," answered Remus firmly, herding them along.

Artemis waited by the kitchen fireplace for her family, doling out the appropriate jumpers to each one before grabbing the jar of Floo Powder. "I tucked a box of chocolate muffins into your trunk, so don't forget to pull them out when you get to your dorm room. Did you remember to pack the presents from Lina and Sirius?"

Ana nodded, smiling mischievously. "Uncle Padfoot gave me a box from Weasley's Wheezes to open when I get to school. Aunt Lina said to owl them for suggestions on what to do with the stuff."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Of course they did. Harry didn't give you his map of the school, did he?"

Ana widened her eyes innocently. "No, he didn't give me a map, just a new quill and some spare parchment, and said I had to carry on the legacy or something like that, and that Dad would deny being com…complacent…"

"Complicit," whispered her dad.

"Yeah, complicit in any way if I get into trouble using it."

Remus snorted a laugh and Artemis glared at him. "She gets that from your side," she muttered.

Remus widened his eyes in the same innocent look Ana had worn moments before. "My side? I'm not the one with a criminal record." He laughed at Artemis' withering look. "Come along now, Platform 9 ¾ is waiting."

Archimedes arrived the next morning with a single photograph clutched in his talons. Ana and Finn waved happily out of the picture wearing matching black t-shirts with "Hufflepunks" emblazoned across the front in large yellow letters.


End file.
